Belial of the New School Building
Life. 0: Prologue
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The rambunctious blaring of the small alarm clock jarred him out of his peaceful sleep, and he jolted up, smashing the snooze button as hard as he possibly could.
Slowly and reluctantly, he uncovered his face. He blinked, closed his eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window and blinded him. He sat up, dragging his feet off the bed. He stretched his arms above his head and sighed in satisfaction.
His name was Danhauser Belial, though everyone mostly called him 'Dan' — or 'Danny' in his cousin's case — He's a worker in Kuoh Academy as well as the next head of the Belial Clan.
Yes, he was from the Underworld and a Pure Devil.
But he was also from another world, where this universe was only fiction. He'd been reincarnated long ago. It'd been years since that day.
His gray eyes lingered over the alarm — or, rather, what remained of it, "I seriously have to hold back my strength," He scolded to himself, "Cleria won't like this."
As if on cue, a knock came from his door, "Rise and shine, sunshine!" It was guess-who, "It's time to woo all the girls with your charm, Danny~!"
"Speaking of the Devil," He refrained from groaning and rubbed his knuckles into his eyes, "I'm up, I'm up. I'll join you in a sec, Cleria. Let me get ready."
"Sure," He pictured her nodding, "Once you're done getting handsome go wake Roy up while I handle the cooking. Don't take too long!"
"Wait!" Danhauser's eyebrow twitched when Cleria's presence faded, "Ass."
Danhauser didn't harbor any ill thoughts about Roygun. Sure, she could sometimes get on his nerves whenever she teased him — with Cleria soon worsening the situation — and be quite the lazy woman. She had the same excuse that steadily began to be worn out — she's a Belphegor. Laziness ran in their system akin to the Lucifer bloodline carrying pride deep within their veins.
But despite being annoyed by Roygun's laidback nature and flirtatious personality, Danhauser and Cleria appreciated Roygun's support.
He watched his legs dangle absently above the floor and stood off his mattress to start the day with the right foot. He met the mirror hanging in his bedroom's bathroom and smiled back at his reflection.
These four years had changed his appearance in positive ways. Aside from becoming taller, he'd gained a more muscular and toned build from the extreme training he'd received in the Underworld by his brother and mother. Of course, the physical image wasn't the only thing he had been sculpting out, there was his magical prowess too. But that was another story for another time.
He washed his face and left while sliding a hand across his slicked-back gray hair in satisfaction. With a snap of his fingers, his actual attire magically altered for a three-piece-suit, pants and black shoes.
Cloth Manipulation. A basic yet useful spell that not only could instantly change someone's vestments, it could also repair any damage done to it. It made things easier, faster and saved him from spending money on a tailor. Seriously, the next time he had the luck to speak privately with the blonde beauty, he will thank Lavinia properly.
"Maybe dinner will do," Many occasions she had longed to taste her people's cuisine, "Or maybe painting supplies? She loves painting after all."
He would figure something out later on — he thought. He still had to wake up the resident Snorlax of the house.
Grunting, he stepped out of his room and walked right up to call Roygun's door and gave it a quick knock. He's unsurprised when he's met with only silence. He knocked once more just to give her one last chance, but after waiting several long moments for a response, he decided to twist the knob and get inside.
She laid as still as a brick, pink hair sprayed over the pillow. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of her well-endowed chest. Whenever she snored quietly, Danhauser refrained from snorting, sticking with a shaky smile. Her expression was peaceful though and — dare he say — beautiful.
Sadly, a dream must always come to an end, they had job to do. He grabbed her bed sheets and softly pushed them aside, carefully shaking her shoulder, "Roygun, wake up," Danhauser called quietly, "It's time to go."
Her closed eyes scrunched as she brought back the blanket above her face, leaving only her horns exposed.
His shoulders hopelessly slumped. What else was he expecting from her? Not expecting this interaction as part of his daily routine would be a huge lie. With that thought behind, he held one of her horns and tugged it, "Get up."
"M'up," Roygun mumbled something, barely coherent.
"No, you aren't," Danhauser heard her inaccurate words loud and clear, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," He warned her.
She lazily pushed free from his grasp and turned away from him, dragging the covers with her and wrapping herself into a comfy cocoon, "Just five more minutes."
He'd tried to play the sympathetic card — he really did. But only bad cop triumphed over the incarnation of sloth. He stole her only protection of cold and tossed it far away, "Get. Up. Now," Danhauser gave vicious jabs to Roygun's belly-button for each accentuated word.
Roygun groaned faintly and said goodbye to the idea of shutting some more eye. She rolled over to look at her clock and froze. 6 am. Dear Maou. There was a light moan of displeasure as she planted her face over the pillow. "Why, dear. Why," She whined sleepily.
"Cleria is making breakfast. Come on, slowpoke," Danhauser ignored her complaints and dragged her bodily out of bed, chuckling at Roygun's half-hearted grumbling. He allowed her to take her morning bath and get dressed. Unlike Cleria and Danhauser, she had been sleeping in a guest room all these years, thus lacking a personal bathroom.
He went downstairs to the kitchen and spotted Cleria round picking up things to make breakfast. A quick glance into the kitchen showed two counters covered with cooking implements, with pots and ladles hanging from hooks on the walls and a microwave that's clearly seen a lot of use.
Danhauser just took his seat and waited patiently for their dishes to be ready.
"Bon appetite," She plonked the rather pathetic-looking breakfast down in front of them that consisted of a dried toast and coffee. A trait shared between the owners of this house was that their culinary skills were only limited to toast, cereal, sandwich and anything related to the microwave — it was abysmal. Thankfully they had the budget to visit restaurants and satisfy their hunger.
Sure, the Belial Clan had lost their vast monetary income years ago thanks to previous events that he wished not to speak about. The good news was that the commodity of the Human World was way cheaper in comparison to the Underworld and — to an extent — the Supernatural World as a whole.
"Mmm, breakfast of champions," Danhauser snarked, dodging a piece of toast coming from Cleria.
She gave him the stink eye, "Maybe if a certain dork, gray-haired young man who loves training every day decided to learn how to cook and feed two beautiful women living with him we wouldn't be eating so poorly!"
"… Why me? Why not you or Roygun?" Danhauser narrowed his eyes accusingly and added, "I'm not a dork."
"Because it's going to help you lots!" Cleria persisted, "Of all three, you're the most qualified to master the kitchen! Can't you see it!?"
Danhauser cocked his head to the side, "Nope. Nothing," He said and Cleria's face became blank. He continued, "Admit it. You're just a lazy ass like Roygun."
She startled Danhauser by smashing her fists over the table — shaking anything atop it.
Danhauser eyed her oddly, "Don't do that."
"You fool!" Cleria pointed dramatically at him, "Girls and grown women find men more attractive when they cook for them! Ask Roy if you don't trust me!" She folded her arms with a pout, "I'm just trying to make you the best boy in town and you keep ruining it, damn it!"
Danhauser blinked a few times before laughing, "Doing yours and Roygun's laundry isn't good enough to be ranked as best boy?" Sure they had Cloth Manipulation, but the magic didn't give the refreshing smell of the laundries detergents. If it did, then Danhauser didn't know of it.
"Nooo!" She wailed her arms, "You gotta expand your horizons, Danny! Expand 'em!"
"Maybe I should stop by another time?" They whipped their heads around to see the owner of the voice walking downstairs, "You two were about to kill one another."
Standing from afar in black heels and with a hand on her slim hip, a full-grown woman smiled and tucked strands of her cherry-blossom hair behind her ear. The formal white shirt and a black skirt that only accentuated her bewitching beauty.
Her horns were missing. Magic at its finest.
"Just your typical morning," Danhauser waved off her qualms — despite having none.
"True. I should get used to it at this point," Roygun's face wrinkled as she noticed the served food, "Hah…? Toast again?"
"Coffee too," Danhauser gestured at the cup in his grasp before taking a sip, "Make yourself comfortable, Roygun."
"It's Yozakura. Mr. Vice-Principal," Roygun booped his nose and joined them on the table, "At least anything to put on it? Peanut butter? Marmalade?"
"Nope, nothing," Cleria stated after gulping her chewed food, "All cabinets are as empty as our wallets. I'll make a list of what to buy either later or tomorrow."
Roygun didn't reply back, she just shifted her glasses and reluctantly bit her toast. Danhauser had always wondered why she would wear glasses when her eyesight was perfect. Cleria told him it was for cosmetic uses, to easily resemble the typical teacher.
Just change 'typical' with 'fetishized'.
Her clothing accompanied by her mature beauty had the thirsty male student body — and a few girls — unable to focus on their studies. He wasn't shocked by their expression whenever the cherry-blossom entered class. After reading the Light Novels and way too many fanfics he'd expected these reactions to occur from the students. The former rating gamer didn't mind — she'd found it hilarious.
The adoration wasn't only reserved for Roygun however. Similar to canon, Rias and her peerage, Sona, and her Queen were also bombarded by endless flattery. Cleria and Danhauser also had a share of the students' overexaggerated praises.
He sometimes had to give the students their well-earned credit after the nonsense they kept spurting from their mouths. It was worrisome how quick they bought any rumors that'd spread across the corridors. They were easy to manipulate.
"By the way, Vice-Principal," Cleria called out, "Any news for the Kyoto trip?"
Danhauser's mouth pursed as he laid down his hot cup. It was a tradition of the academy to implement an excursion to Kyoto for the second-year students. While It was months before Issei and the others were aboard the school trip, Danhauser had to organize the events ahead of the time. He couldn't leave it at the last minute.
Danhauser didn't reply immediately, simply picking up a napkin and dusting off the crumbs that came from Cleria's toast. Both women wondered if it was better to drop the subject and speak of anything else, but then the gray-haired Devil leaned back on his seat and exhaled deeply. That wasn't a good sign — they figured.
"I have everything already," He massaged his wrist, "From the trip's cost, the places to visit and where to sleep and eat. I only need one thing."
Roygun was quick to follow, "Yasaka's approval."
Danhauser's grunt confirmed their worries, "Yasaka hasn't responded yet. And I doubt she will."
Cleria bit her lip, hesitant, "Why does she dislike you so much?"
"… Where do I start," He trailed off, absentmindedly tucking his knuckles under his chin, "In a nutshell — she believes I'm lethal. My peerage and I fighting terrorists has left her and her people a bad impression."
All the havoc he'd committed in the aftermath of his prior deeds — especially the conflicts against Augusta and Satanael — had Yasaka slowly become wary of him and the terrorists. Yasaka's mistrust didn't surge from Danhauser fending off Satanael and his peers, let's make that clear. It was how much involved he was in the turmoil, their livelihood in Kuoh Town and — to an extent — Ryuukou Town. She compared him to a magnet that attracted chaos for each step he took. Thus, she desired little communication as possible with him and Devils in general.
He fathomed Yasaka's harsh actions. She wanted to cover all bases for her people from any danger that had transpired each passing moon in the abundant prefectures within Japan. Plus, the majority of Youkais were well-known from their isolated nature and fear or mistrust of foreigners.
Unfortunately — for the Nine-tailed Fox beauty — Kuoh Town and Ryuukou Town were within the Kyoto Prefecture.
Nonetheless, Yasaka refused to threaten them — it wasn't her way of solving problems — and preferred to stress Danhauser whenever he had contact with her. But no one had an abundant amount of patience — everyone had a breaking point. Danhauser had the bad luck to savor it the moment he'd invoked the wrath of Zekram himself.
But honestly, he wasn't surprised nor hurt when he'd found out Yasaka had listed him in her blacklist. What had him bothered was that their antagonism could turn troublesome in future events. After all, Kyoto Youkai would become vital later on when the Hero Faction had made their name known. Their confrontation was written in the stars — both Yasaka's and Cao Cao's.
"Aside from that, the same stuff. She wants us to pack up and leave the town asap."
"And what's your answer?" Roygun had already predicted his response, but it didn't hurt to ask.
Danhauser shrugged, "I play her game by ignoring her."
The pink-haired snorted lightly.
"You two are only going back and forth," Cleria heaved a sigh, "It'll just worsen any chances of building a relationship with her."
"We can't give her Kuoh Town, Cleria," Danhauser shook his head, "Neither Ryuukou Town. We need them for the sake of our Clan," He was growing into something of a thorn in the side of Yasaka's even temper. He hated to stick out like a sore thumb, but if it was the only way to still live in Japan then so be it.
He had to make a hasty remedy on their eerie link. In a way where Danhauser didn't have to involve Kuoh and Ryuukou Town amid the negotiation table. Time was against him and still had no idea how to tackle the conversation.
"I know, I know," Cleria hung her head, "It's just…"
Roygun finished swallowing a bite of her toast before saying anything else, "Makes me wonder how you're going to sway her about the school trip," She commented dryly, "Putting apart your awful relationship with her. She's the leader of the Youkai Faction, right?"
"Yes, she is," Danhauser grabbed a spoon and stirred his coffee, "But she isn't the only one ruling the Youkai. She's mostly in charge of the West Faction."
Roygun realized how vague her comment was and went on detail, "No doubt together they rule, but Yasaka still has more authority — and charm — than the other leaders. Take Sirzechs as an example. He's the leader and representative of the Four Great Satans."
"My point still stands. If someone can convince Yasaka is the leader of the East Faction," Rias, Sona, and their Queens — who were second-year students back then — had the honors to travel the sacred grounds of Kyoto thanks to the Daiyoukai. For an odd reason, he had even acknowledged Danhauser's performance. Danhauser liked him. Maybe because of him, Yasaka hadn't kicked them out of Kuoh Town — yet.
Danhauser just had to arrange a meeting and cross his fingers for the best.
Cleria looked up, astounded, "Wait? Him?"
"Yep, him," Danhauser blew the steam of coffee and took a careful sip, "The one and only — Nurarihyon himself."
"The High Priest of the Moon…" Roygun tapped her lip in thought, "Shocked you already met someone of his position."
Danhauser blew air from his nose, "The many virtues of being dumped in the battlefield," He said, "I'd spoken with the geezer once, he's nice."
Roygun pondered a while before sticking with a lazy shrug, "Hah... sure, go for it. I suppose it won't hurt anyone to give it a shot... I'm still convinced you can somehow woo her without Nurarihyon's help."
"My head almost blew up from thinking of anything useful," Danhauser chuckled lamely, "It sucks this is the only way. Only Nurarihyon can change Yasaka's mind. Thanks for the pat on the back, though."
"Aw, darn it," Cleria puffed her cheeks, "And here I thought your third Clan Trait would have Yasaka head over heels for you!"
Roygun chuckled weakly, "Blonde Magnetism."
"Ha. That's so funny," Danhauser rolled his eyes, "Never heard that one before."
Cleria waged her finger as if to chide her cousin for his reaction, "Hey, what's with the grumpy face?" She reached out and pinched Danhauser's cheek, "Come on, brighten up! Blind me with your beautiful smileeeee!"
"… Why you two are always like this?" He pushed her hand away with a light glare, "Cut me some slack already."
Roygun's face was washed with nothing but innocence, "Hah...? Why…? We are just pampering you with immense affection. That's it~!"
"Yeah~!" Cleria nodded in agreement, "Don't you enjoy our great love only reserved for you~?"
"No," He said flatly.
If he had a medal, he would gift it to Roygun. The expression she now adopted almost made him feel bad. Almost, "Ah! There he goes once again. Mistreating us like always."
"So mean…!" Cleria wailed and hugged his arm, "You gotta open up your heart to us, Danny!"
"I can't believe I survived four years with you two around."
"And he just keeps rubbing salt in our wounds! My heart aches whenever you hurt our feelings," Roygun also latched into his arm while fluttering her eyelashes in a teasing fashion, "But it's okay. I forgive you. Because I know that deep down, you care for us."
They had him right where they wanted him. Roygun could tell by the look of mild annoyance on his face and his cheeks struggling to keep the blood away.
"Three can play the same game," He vowed under his breath, "You two will get a taste of your own medicine one day. I swear."
Cleria stuck her tongue out, "Suuuure."
"Hah... Keep telling yourself that — sweet thing," Roygun patted his cheek and scoop herself up, lazily thumbing at the exit, "Now, shall we enjoy our day in Kuoh Academy to the fullest?"
"You sound excited," Danhauser's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Roygun shrugged nonchalantly, "I'd rather stay all day under the sheets, to be honest."
Cleria peered over the clock hanging on the wall, "Yeah, let's start with a bang," She clicked her tongue when a thought dawned her, "I still have to make that dumb list!"
"Make it," Danhauser told his cousin, "I'll do all the shopping… unless any of you two wishes to take the bullet for me."
Neither of them volunteered — just as he expected.
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Kuoh Town. The town where the Light Novels began. From Kokabiel almost restarting the Great War to the top brass of the Biblical Faction holding a conference to sign the peace treaty. The events didn't stop there. Chaos kept knocking on the door of the main characters with each volume scaling dangerously.
And Danhauser would have the honors to feed upon it. In the early days after reincarnating in this world he was freaked out, but after training constantly with his brother and gambling his life whenever he'd fought against the Utsusemi Agency and Hexennacht led by Satanael had made him confident than four years ago. He was ready for the upcoming storm.
Just because he would always exercise on a day to day basis it didn't convey, he was looking forward to a second round against Satanael, Walburga or any big villain — he wasn't a battle maniac like Bova or Sairaorg. He'd chosen to work out for self-defense and because it became part of his life — a hobby.
Danhauser shook his head as the wind howled. From his spot in the school grounds, he saw the students arriving through the gates, hustling and bustling down the corridors. Friends were greeting each other with a hug or a playful punch. He saw Kiba walking to his classroom while waving at the fangirls who either squealed, fawned or fainted.
And of course, the jealous males trying to wipe out the Prince of Kuoh with their fierce glares.
Just your typical day in Kuoh Academy.
Danhauser had been employed as the Vice-Principal of Kuoh Academy when Cleria had hired him. At first, Cleria had placed the offer on the table only for Roygun, but the latter refused since she couldn't be bothered working a lot. Since then, Danhauser had become the second-in-command while the pink-haired woman had chosen to teach the schoolchildren in mathematics.
They were famous too. The fact that the student body came up with nicknames was just a nod to his statement. Dear Maou the nicknames! And Danhauser always believed he was awful coming up with one!
For the sake of his health, Danhauser quickly shoved off the nightmares before it bestowed him a heart attack. Despite the overstated laud of the population within Kuoh Academy, Danhauser had to admit this was a breath of fresh air compared to his embroilment with Satanael and his army of chaos.
As he headed down the path, while ignoring the quite loud whispers orbiting him, he'd flinched at the obnoxious screams of the students. Now what? "Ah, Vice-Principal," He'd recognized that voice behind the cries and turned around to look.
Rias, Sona, and their Queens were walking toward him. He almost had to cover his ears after the jeering only increased tenfold. Seriously, how they'd never suffered from sore throats? Each morning they were always screaming at the top of their lungs in hopes to catch the undivided attention of their seniors — but no avail.
"Ladies," Danhauser greeted as they approached, struggling to ignore the rest of the students, "Hope you four aren't in trouble."
Akeno's heavy-lidded eyes only made her look amused, "Not yet, anyway."
Danhauser arched an eyebrow.
"Akeno…" Rias hissed chidingly, "There's time and place for everything — but not now!"
"Ufufufu…"
Sona sighed at their behavior, "Yes, Vice-Principal. No one's causing trouble either..."
Danhauser didn't like how quietly she said that.
Tsubaki adjusted her rimmed glasses, "Not under our watch. We have everything under control, Vice-Principal."
Since Touji and his group had disbanded and abandoned the Church located in Kuoh, the town was — supposedly — under control of the Remaining Pillars. Thus, the government was brisk enough to send reinforcements to assist Danhauser and Cleria in keeping the place secured.
Those reinforcements were the Heiress of the Sitri Clan and the Gremory Clan.
It was a good plan. The Supernatural World most likely knew the young sisters of the Maou. No one — unless they had a thirst for war like an infamously known Cadre — would dare to cut a single strand of their hair. It was signing your own execution. And because of that, they'd kept a safe distance away from 'Devil territory'.
Half of his brain pondered why Yasaka didn't resort through threats was because of Rias and Sona residing in Kuoh. They weren't powerhouses like Sairaorg or himself but were still treated dangerously thanks to their relatives — Serafall and Sirzechs.
Do not wake the sleeping giant as they say.
Yet, the plan wasn't flawless. Because of their status, a few Factions knew of them and their whereabouts. They were an easy and reachable target. It made the 'remain incognito' strategy plain worthless. Zekram's tactic was a double-edged sword that could — sooner or later — tip on their disfavor.
"Good to know," Danhauser pocketed his hands, his full attention solely on the Sitri heiress, "So, what's up? You wanted to speak with me about something or…?"
Sona wasn't the kind of girl who would start a conversation just to burn some time — that's what Rias would do. Whenever the Sitri heiress spoke to him was either to keep him updated about the school system or about students causing trouble — their relationship was professional.
As Sona pushed her glasses up, Danhauser swore to see the light briefly reflecting off them. Creepy, "It's Hyoudou. Again."
That alone answered the problem — Danhauser thought, "Spying on the Kendo Club?"
"Yes."
"Hmm," Danhauser roamed his intense gaze over Sona's Queen, "I thought the Student Council had everything 'under control'."
Tsubaki awkwardly coughed on her fist, cheeks flushed, "T-there can be a few special cases, Vice-Principal…"
"Relax, I was just teasing you," Danhauser laughed briefly before focusing on Sona, "Where are they? Getting beaten by the Kendo Club?"
"Sona actually found them sooner," Rias replied, "Just in time before something bad happened."
"Right now, they're being guided to a designed classroom by servants of mine," Sona finished, "Ready to get disciplined."
Danhauser pocketed his hands. Most likely he would be the one keeping an eye over them, it all remained on the hands of his cousin. "Rias. When are you going to recruit him?" He asked pointedly, "The whole reason why he's still in Kuoh with his friends is because we're doing you a favor."
"Indeed," Sona remarked.
Before the Gremory heiress could pull out an excuse, a scream cut out into the conversation. The Devils quickly shifted their focus to the distance to see three infamous perverts pushing any student away while fleeing from the horde of furious girls wearing the Kendo Club uniform, all brandishing their wooden weapons in hopes to land a hit.
"There they are," Danhauser watched from afar the current Sekiryuutei and his friends being chased by the livid Kendo Club, "The Three Musketeers of Kuoh."
"Ara, ara," Akeno brought a hand to her cheek, smiling, "My juniors are really a bunch of rascals, aren't they?"
Sona and Tsubaki's expressions were frozen in disbelief, "Is he… are they trying to break free from their detention?"
"Don't think so," Danhauser said, "The Kendo Club must have had figured out about their lecherous peeping and were quick to react. The only option the boys had was running away to avoid a black eye."
Besides being shown in the early moments of the Light Novels as an ongoing pervert, self-interested and ignorant person, he didn't picture Issei disobeying orders from figures ranked higher than him. The last time he'd saw Issei disobeying was during the Kokabiel crisis — but he did it to help his future best friend, Yuuto Kiba.
"Tsubaki, tell the members of the Student Council to go after them," Danhauser ordered, "I want Hyoudou, his friends, Murayama and Katase facing detention."
Sexual harassment wasn't tolerable in any school. Neither school violence.
As Tsubaki nodded and invoked a magic circle near her ear, Rias turned to Danhauser and Sona with a nervous smile, "I'm still deciding which piece to use," She admitted, "I'm open for suggestions." They were the only Kings available that could give one or two advice for her growing peerage.
Sona sighed, "Foremost. You should appoint a private meeting before rushing the recruitment phase, Rias," She lectured the buxom redhead who winced, "But answering your question, maybe three pawns will do? He has a Sacred Gear, but maybe it's just a common one."
"He hasn't awakened it either," Tsubaki tossed her two cents, finished talking with Sona's servants, "That should cost fewer pawns during the ritual."
"I doubt it'll take three Pawns. His Sacred Gear emits an aura similar to a dragon. Those are pretty valuable," The Gremory heiress pointed out, "Even if his Sacred Gear hasn't been roused from its somber."
"The reincarnation system values the strength of the King, the guinea pig, and their Sacred Gear — if they have one, to begin with," Danhauser evoked Ajuka's words, "It might cost you around three pawns depending how fit you are, Rias."
A Longinus would cost her fortune — a sacrifice that Danhauser and Sairaorg had already experienced. It also depended whether if that Sacred Gear was a rare case amongst them — such as the exotic Sub-Species Sacred Gears. Valerie and Siegfried were examples that stood out. Heck, maybe they were the only ones in DxD to inherit a one-of-a-kind relic.
"Because of that, I had to use all my Pawns on Valerie," Danhauser fought the urge to punch himself. The Dhampir literally had three Longinus within her — each Holy Grail equally in terms of strength. Azazel even mentioned that she's one of the rarest Longinus Users to exist — an anomaly, "I should've waited a little until my Evil Pieces became Unused or Mutated. Wrong move from my part."
Taking their comments to heart, Rias nodded and faced Danhauser, "With that aside, I'd love to hear your opinion too, Vice-Principal. Any advice on what Evil Piece use on my cute, soon-to-be servant?"
"… Huh, you are acting pretty confident," Danhauser noted, "You already have a plan to win his trust? Sona wasn't wrong, you should talk with him first before jumping on the big step."
He believed Issei would be easy to convince. The brunet had loudly revealed many times his goal throughout Kuoh Academy, and Devils were infamously known for practicing polygamy. If Issei accepted to be Raynare's boyfriend on the first day without knowing shit from her, then Rias had this wrapped around her finger — keeping in mind that the partner of Ddraig was known for having a crush on Rias at the start of Light Novels.
Maybe he was underestimating Issei, better let the wheel of fate do its part.
Rias flashed a fearless smile, "I do, actually," She puffed out her chest, "I'm afraid I can't tell you my secret weapon, Vice-Principal."
"Unfortunate," Danhauser refrained from looking at her gifted bust, sticking with an eye roll, "I wonder what that would be…"
Akeno giggled in return, reaching the same conclusion.
He fixated his gray eyes over Rias' blue ones to where the Perverted Trio had last been seen, "I think a Rook would do the charm," Danhauser answered her neglected question, "He's been taking the Kendo Club's beatings like a punching bag since day one."
Rias stayed quiet for a moment, putting a finger over her chin, "I know you were just being sarcastic… but perhaps it could work?"
"I agree. A rook piece should give a boost to his offense and defense," Akeno said with a perversely pleased smile, "… Enough for my junior to last in our future and private sessions. Ufufufu…"
The look Akeno wore brought whips and leather in his mind.
A lot of leather.
"Akeno…" Rias facepalmed at her Queen's demeanor, "You… you can't say such things aloud in front of the Vice-Principal…"
"Ara?" Akeno stiffened and gasped behind her fingers, "It wasn't my intention to be so open about my… hobbies. Please, forgive me."
Danhauser frowned at Akeno who bowed in apology. Anyone present knew her gesture was a mere bluff — Rias rubbing her temple just proved this statement. Where he was dubious was whether Akeno was trying to pull a reaction out of him or get punishment. Or both.
She shared this quirk with Valerie who used a different tactic — her macabre side. She adored pointing out gross and morbid facts to draw feelings of disgust from the Peerage — mostly Tobio. The Dhampir, however, wasn't a masochist.
Rather than freaking out, it just brought the good memories of his childhood per se.
"… Whatever you have in mind do it far away from school grounds so you don't bother anyone," Danhauser warned her, "We already have issues with Hyoudou and co. ogling the girls."
The raven-haired girl giggled.
Sona narrowed her eyes, "As the Vice-Principal of Kuoh Academy, you shouldn't encourage your students from performing such acts."
Danhauser hummed while patting down his suit, "Hey, bite me. I can't tell Akeno what to do with her personal life," He countered, "Neither you. Outside of the school gates, we are no longer the 'Vice-Principal' or the 'Student Council President' we are just a bunch of devils with personal affairs."
Sona's sharp eyes clashed with his intense one, "… You raise a good point, Vice-Principal," Sona bowed her head with Tsubaki quickly following suit, "I apologize for doubting you."
Danhauser blinked several times before folding his arms at the redhead, "Let me guess. You're going to apologize, too?"
Rias chuckled before awkwardly shrugging.
Danhauser merely snapped back to the Student Council members, "Chin up, you two. It was nothing serious."
Sona nodded in gratitude and hopped on the next topic, "I wish to speak of something of importance," She adjusted her glasses, "I don't wish to put pressure on your shoulders, Vice-Principal. But have you found a good candidate to take care of the holes in the changing rooms walls?"
"Almost done," Danhauser replied, "I have the number. We just have to wait for the Principal to give the green lights so we can move on the next step."
"Could it be as soon as possible?"
Danhauser winked at her impatience, "You can bet on that. Cleria was desperate to find someone with the skills to do so. She's going to cry tears of joy."
Don't ask why it took them years to hire someone qualified for the job. Seriously, don't.
Sona hummed, relief washing her body. She confronted her childhood friend with a warning gaze, "Once you've recruited Hyoudou in your Peerage, you better put restrictions on his perverted nature. His actions are going to be your responsibility from here on, Rias."
"We already spared Hyoudou and his squad of voyeurs way too much," Danhauser soon followed on the threats, "Next time they won't get away with just a slap on the wrist."
Rias flinched at their words. Whenever her nominee for the Pawn piece was caught peeking on girls, Danhauser had to reluctantly alter the memories of the victims and witnesses. Of course, he made sure Issei and his goons faced the consequences with the Principal and Governor of Kuoh Town — Cleria.
The point was that Danhauser didn't like messing with the mind of innocent people unless the situation deemed it utterly necessary — such as someone finding out about the Supernatural World. Plus, his tolerance was slowly wearing.
Even Cleria had warned her — face to face — that if she ever heard in the school grounds about three infamous boys sexually harassing girls changing clothes. She will immediately expel them from Kuoh Academy. No ifs, ands, or buts.
It didn't affect Rias in the slightest. Her future servant would have time to spare in fulfilling contracts with humans. But still, Issei's parents would be enraged by the news and perhaps enroll the brunet in a different academy. Unless Issei's school records were a problem throughout the admission.
She had to comply with their orders — both Cleria's and Danhauser's. As an heir of the Clan Belial, Danhauser's authority in Kuoh Town was second only to his cousin's. It mattered a little if the Gremory Clan was one of the highest-ranking and famous Devil families in contrast to the Belial Clan. Politically speaking, she should be the governor but Zekram stepped up and his command was executed.
Rias shook her head and — with a look mixed with gratitude and guilt — voiced her thoughts quietly, "I will. Thank you for your patience."
At that moment, one of Danhauser's many phones buzzed briefly inside his pocket. He pulled it out to see a familiar name.
His expression darkened.
"… Vice-Principal?" Sona called out, "Is something wrong?"
"It's… nothing," Danhauser brushed off their frowns, "Tell Cleria I'll be out for a while, got to check something in the town real quick."
Sona's strict eyes couldn't narrow more. Nonetheless, she reluctantly dropped the subject, "As you wish. Should I also take care of Hyoudou and the rest?"
"Please do," He nodded to all of them, "It's better if you girls go back to your classroom — class is about to start."
"Before we go, Vice-Principal, can you one day visit the ORC?" Rias suddenly requested, "Gasper's been asking about you lately. He thinks you're ignoring him."
Danhauser looked up from his mobile, "I have a tight schedule, hence I rarely stop by," He explained, "But yeah, tell him I'll drop by soon enough."
He did promise Valerie he would watch over the cross-dressing Dhampir after all.
Flashing the trademark Gremory smile, Rias left alongside her Queen — who'd bowed at him.
"Vice-Principal," Sona and her Queen gave a brief reverence before pursuing after the redhead, lending the grey-haired man alone time.
He acted quickly.
Pocketing his phone and fishing out another one, he searched through his contacts and brought the device close to his ear.
And waited.
And waited.
And wai—!
[Boss,] A female voice answered the call, [Need a hand?]
"Sae," Danhauser spun around and walked after the gates of the academy, "I need a favor."
.
.
Danhauser slunk into the restaurant. After crawling through his phone for the coordinates of his associate — he'd hit upon this place. Apparently — from what he'd seen so far — this place was infested with students from different schools catching a break from their studies. He'd even spot a few of Kuoh Academy waving at him. The building was as full as an optimist's glass. Whatever they're selling here must be tasty. He just hoped it wasn't expensive — he thought.
He waved back and searched everyone that followed the main characteristics of his target carefully. The unique hair color and demonic energy were the traits that made this figure stand out from others.
As he closed his eyes to channel Senjutsu and make the task easier for him, he didn't feel the unique presence of someone with a demonic aura.
The coast was clear. For now.
He opened his eyes and continued through his path, the workers parting easily from him. When the opportunity presented itself, he took the nearest and empty table for himself and waited. A moment later, his companion entered the restaurant. His clothes were layered and distinguished enough to draw attention in the whole building.
"Keeping it subtle, I see," Danhauser grunted, raising a hand to catch his attention.
Their eyes met and his partner smiled, calmly drawing near and taking a chair for him.
Danhauser snapped his fingers and invoked a barrier around them.
…
…
…
"What's your business here, Diodora?" Danhauser broke the ice, "You can't come to Kuoh without my cousin's or mine's acknowledgment. There are rules, you should follow them."
Diodora chuckled tauntingly, "Is that so?"
Danhauser stared for a full minute before feigning a disheartened sigh, "I'm disappointed. I was hoping we'd get along better than this, Diodora."
"Oh? Aren't you the one baring your teeth at me?" Diodora shot back with a sly smile, "You're always frowning whenever we meet. Are you not happy with me paying you a visit?"
"What? Who told you that? I always purr like a cat whenever I see you, Diodora," After laughing at his own joke, Danhauser's face hardened and cut the chase, "I already told Shalba many times that I'll handle Rias and Sona around a week and far away from Kuoh Town. You can ask him if you don't trust me. Like hell I'll kill the heiresses when their peerage is near."
As arrogant as it may sound, Danhauser could take head on both Rias and Sona with their peerage in the mix. Regardless if Issei and Saji were already reincarnated as pawns and awakened their Sacred Gears.
But he wasn't here to gloat how much he could flex on their servants. The fact that Diodora came for the fifth time was annoying and worrisome. Ninety-percent of his brain suspected that it was just the leaders of Old Satan Faction putting pressure on him. The ten percent, however, it was that he was wandering to see if his prey finally arrived— Asia Argento.
Most of the time, his brain would storm to the conclusion he was after his newest servant — Jeanne. If that was the case then he would personally take matters into his own hands.
But no one knew of the blonde except for his family, Ruval, Roygun, Ajuka and maybe the other Maou. Ajuka didn't have any bond with the Heir of Astaroth and didn't give a shit about Diodora's existence. Harsh, but acceptable given how Diodora revealed his true colors later on.
As much as he would love to, he couldn't tell Diodora to fuck off and never come back. The Astaroth House was way above the Belial Clan in terms of prestige in the Underworld. Sure, they weren't in Ars Goetia but knowing Diodora's callous personality, he would pull off something that would ridicule his Clan more as an act of revenge.
He already had the media waiting for any member of the Belial Housecarl to make the tiniest mistake possible to publish it into many articles. He would rather avoid conflict that involved his family.
"He changed his mind it seems," Diodora shrugged, "Did I forget to mention that they're growing impatient by your slow progress? My bad," His expression darkened, "This isn't the first time that you asked Shalba to lend you more time to finish your mission. You said you'd 'get the job done', but I still haven't heard any news of the mysterious deaths of Gremory and Sitri. "
Danhauser's eyes narrowed perilously, "Get in my shoes. You should be happy your target was child's play," Maybe it wasn't since the heir that Diodora had killed was the member of Glasya-Labolas Clan, who was a Devil behind guards and such. Then again, the targets that were assigned to Danhauser were relatives of the strongest female devil and a Super Devil. It's a fool's gambit to provoke the Maou, "What I say is true, I'll get the job done — but at my own pace. Stop bugging me."
Diodora brought his hands up defensively, "Hey, I'm not the one twisting your arm. I'm just here to send a memo... Still, why exactly is it becoming challenging to finish them? Come on. Just humor me here," He smirked before deciding to throw him a bone, "You can slay all of them with your arms tied up. They are way below your league. It's hard to believe in someone who sympathized with the Old Satan's cause and requested to cooperate with us would hesitate to kill the sisters of the fake Maou. Don't forget this is also a test to see if you're trustworthy."
"… You should really be looking at the big picture here, Diodora," Danhauser snorted a laugh at the accusation, "I've got to keep appearances on my end. I can't afford to lose the faith that's been placed in me from Sirzechs and Serafall. The more confidence the Maou has on me, the more valuable information I'll receive. And that information is beneficial for the Old Satan Faction."
Diodora's golden eyes fluttered apart, twinkling amusingly, "Playing the good boy, hmm? I can relate to that. After all, how else could I win the hearts of many beautiful nuns and holy maidens?" He snapped his fingers and a folder materialized in his grasp. He playfully shook it, "Why Shalba is breathing down on your neck is because he already appointed me another task. From what I've read, it involves the two of us searching for something or someone."
"Who?" Danhauser all but demanded and the Heir of Astaroth smirk grew into a grin full stained by smugness. The gray-haired gritted his teeth, "Diodora…!"
Diodora dematerialized the file much to Danhauser's chagrin, "Can't tell. Not until you've done your part, orders from Shalba himself," He stood up and dusted his clothes, "Huh, what a terrible service. I've been waiting for a cute waitress to offer me a menu and no one came… Whatever. I won't let you read what's inside until you'd done your part. Until then."
"… Everything I do, I do for the Old Satan, Diodora," Danhauser vowed to the retreating Devil.
"The clock is ticking, Danhauser."
Danhauser remained still on his chair, eyes fixated on the napkin and utensils decorated on the table. It just took a tap on his shoulder to yank him out of his food of thoughts. His gaze followed the figure as she stole Diodora's previous seat.
…
…
…
"Got everything, Sae?"
Sae slid the cell phone in his direction, "All saved here," She said, "So, working for the Old Satan Faction? Should I be... worried?"
"It's a long story. Don't worry, I'm playing the 'reverse mole'," He took the device and tried to guess for the password — he'd only failed miserably, "Password?"
"Tobi's birthday," Sae replied, "Anything else you need from me?"
"Not… at all," He said slowly, eyes baited on the screen. He pressed the replay button, "Good job."
Sae nodded in return and hummed to herself, "Oh, right, Tobi says 'Write to me, asshole!' by the way. His words, not mine!"
He paused the audio to regard the brunette with a cocked eyebrow, "And here I thought he was going to ignore me for four years," He leaned back on his chair, "Tell that vertically challenged midget he can write to me whenever he feels like it. I haven't exactly changed email addresses or phone numbers."
Sae stared flatly with those green eyes, "You know he's sensitive about his height."
Danhauser held her gaze for a long second before laughing, "Yeah. I'll write to him when I have free time," He looked down at the table as a waitress placed two menus for them and gave them privacy. He gestured at the menu, "You hungry? I could buy you anything if you want… or is Tobi going to fumble with jealousy?"
"Sorry, boss. I'm kind of busy at the moment — your schedule is stuffed, too. Thanks for the invitation, though," Sae stood up to take her leave — not before smirking over her shoulder. "Besides, this food is third-rate at must compared to Tobi's cooking. See ya."
Danhauser watched her disappear from the lively restaurant, his attention switching back to the phone in his grasp. The girl actually hit the nail right on the head. He had quite the heavy schedule now that he already had built some progress thanks to her cooperation. He had to step up for the next phase now.
He couldn't quit nor pencil it for another occasion. It had to be now.
With that vow in mind, he pocketed the phone and left. His mind recapping Diodora's conversation.
The same questions kept popping in his head.
Searching what? Searching who? What mission had Shalba appointed to Diodora?
He had to find out.
.
.
F4 - Not only Dragon Age, I'm a fan of Mass Effect as well :p and yep my inspiration to make Valerie's character came from Morrigan actually, best girl in Dragon Age IMO. I had to agree with you, Valerie is my best girl too, you have a fine taste in SSR waifus.
King gilgamesh - Danhauser's not going to learn Norse Magic, he will learn from another Faction, I'll give you a hint, you wrote it in your review. Having multiple wings doesn't mean it removes your power cap (there's no such thing as far as I know). Only the Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Asmodeus and their Clan had multiple wings. This is canon. Danhauser wanted multiple wings because he thinks it's coolz.
Guest - Thank you! I think I know who you're talking about with the Boob God, lol. Thought it was a Goddess tho.
I'm safe from school. For now.
So, here's the start of the canon timeline. Nothing engaging. This chapter was mostly to show Danhauser's lifestyle in Kuoh. A calm before the storm per se. I can assure you this arc won't last too long. Whether you want to see that as a good or bad light it's up to you.
Back then I did say I'll put some focus on the Heaven Faction. I will. That, however, will happen later around post-Peace treaty Arc. I will also focus on other Factions as well, as you could read here, the Youkai is one of those. Other Factions are gonna also get some love, too.
Also, something I need to address that some of you were showing some concern — Danhauser's weapon.
Let's be honest, we all know Danhauser and his peerage are going to become strong. REALLY strong. New, and stronger adversaries, are gonna show up, after seeing the spoilers of Shin/True Volume 1 and 2 is a good nod to my statement.
A mere spear is not gonna do shit in a fight against these new faces, thus making all his training with his spear obsolete.
He's not going to have True Longinus. If he does, Indra will go 'Ayy lmao' and erase his ass or worse, start a war against the Hindu Faction (maybe he has foreseen him :p). Why? Because Cao Cao is Indra's vanguard and since Indra needs Cao Cao and the Hero Faction for his war against Shiva...
Back on track, all you need to know is Danhauser's going to have a good weapon. That would be post Kyoto Arc onwards, though. It's not a Sacred Gear.
By the way, the Peerage is not gonna appear yet. They will soon, so don't worry.
Cheers.
PS: While you're reading this. I'm working on the next chapter.
Life. 1: Mad Tea Party
