Life. 15: Wake-Up Call
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While in his Malebranche Form, Danhauser jumped away from harm by narrowly evading the overpowered scythe of his mutated Knight.
Once Danhauser landed at a safe distance, he glared at the werewolf on the other side of what remained of the forest, a smoky black aura manifested around his lean frame.
The once tall pine trees had fallen after being sliced by the scythe of Canis Lycaon and Danhauser's swings; only the stumps of the trunks projected out of the ground.
Danhauser aimed his arm hardened by Touki at the lycanthrope and transformed his entire forearm into a weapon of a modern era—into a Gatling gun.
He took joy as Tobio's jaw slacked open, "What the fu—!"
Danhauser unleashed hell with a barrage of Touki-enhanced pitch resin bullets toward his servant.
Tobio quickly recovered from his stupor by running out of the way. The speed of his knight was matched by no one, as he continued sprinting, dodging and parrying the salvo with his Longinus.
The brunet stopped to bend his legs and jump meters away from the ground. Before falling, he tossed his scythe in Danhauser's direction and lunged down, sinking into the ground in the process.
Danhauser aimed at the scythe as it took the form of Jin. However, he spotted from the corner of his eye as Tobio rushed straight at him in the shape of a tangible shadow.
He acted quickly by turning his other arm into a pressurized cannon and released a light-blue flame of Senjutsu at Tobio while firing a salvo of his Gatling gun toward the nose-diving Jin.
The attacks were easily sliced off by the two alpha predators. His attempt to flee back was impeded once Tobio resurfaced and caught Jin back in his scythe form.
The werewolf brought the blade of his weapon down. Danhauser summoned a barrier of pitch resin surrounded by Touki, but it was easily sliced off like a hot knife passing through butter.
Inches away from getting a fatal wound, Danhauser distorted his own body by splitting himself in half to avoid getting hacked by the Longinus.
Tobio saw how his master altered his body and grew into a spherical shape of pitch resin.
He rolled out of the way the moment Danhauser sprouted needle-like blades all over its ball-shaped body like a lethal sea urchin, forcing the werewolf to back off.
Just as Tobio finally respected his personal space, the pointed spines around Danhauser shrunk back into his body, all while reshaping his appearance into a humanoid-like entity. Tobio was ready to go after him, but Danhauser was quicker this time. The arm of the gray-haired devil's arm transformed into a pitch-black sword, Tobio succeeded in parrying the swing with the neck of his scythe.
And yet, Danhauser was just getting started. He turned his arm-sword into large tendrils that coiled all over the Longinus and tapped into his own life force. He incinerated the god-slaying weapon in light-blue flames of Senjutsu.
Both Tobio and Danhauser heard instantly the whimper coming inside Canis Lykaon. The blade of Tobio's scythe took the shape of Jin's face. The Inugami growled and bared its fangs, lunging forward until its canines punctured on the shoulders of his assailant.
"Shit!" a wave of pain intruded Danhauser's body as the wolf kept its grip on him, pinning him in place. That was until the ground beneath them flooded into Pitch Resin and a large fist surrounded by Touki appeared from it, punching Tobio square in the chest and hurling him away along with Jin.
Disregarding the wound over his shoulder, Danhauser quickly dropped to a knee and submerged both arms on the pool of pitch resin, molding it from the inside and pulling a pair of cannons to the surface.
Still midair, Tobio heard the loud explosions below him. He followed the sound and managed to narrowly dodge the first sphere of Touki with a tilt of his head and cut the second one in half.
Slash Dog spotted Danhauser in his current position and paled at what he saw.
The pool of Pitch Resin expanded and from it appeared a row of cannons of different sizes. But it didn't end there; Danhauser even transformed different parts of his body into unique firearms.
[Fuck,] Lycaon said in his mind.
Danhauser locked sights and fired. Beams, bullets, and cannonballs chased after Tobio. The sound was so ear-piercing that a flock of birds from far away soared to the skies in confusion and fear.
Tobio invoked the shadows in his surroundings as they swirled like a tornado until taking the shape of a large wall that stood between him and the upcoming volley. He did a hand gesture and blades sprouted from said wall, stretching them toward the kneeling Danhauser.
At the moment of collision, Tobio's blades proved out to be deadlier as they effortlessly pierced through the Pitch Resin projectiles. Even if they were coated in Touki, they were no challenge to the power of a Longinus.
The edges born from darkness finally reached their destination and dropped into the ground like a downpour, forming a cloud of dust in the process.
After a safe landing, Slash Dog watched carefully as his opponent casually passed through the curtain of dust. It was Danhauser and noticed how he didn't have any offend on his body, the one caused by Jin in his shoulder healed by his regeneration.
Danhauser rolled his neck and took a fighting stance, still thirsting for more.
The King of Wolves didn't imitate his posture, "… Eh. I think that oughta do it," he suggested, "If we keep this up anymore, none of us are gonna get off with just a few injuries. Let's call it a day here."
"Scared?" the gray-haired tried to mask his disappointment with a taunt but deactivated his True Form.
"Scared of hurting you," Tobio shot back once his Balance Breaker wore off, "Just imagine Valerie's expression when she finds you in a hospital bed."
"Now imagine your expression after she finds out you're the culprit," not like Tobio's words didn't hold any truth behind them. He was aware of how busted Canis Lykaon truly was.
"Maybe we could've gone for another hour…" he saw how Tobio's face became troubled, "but what Śakra said to us… it's still disturbing me."
"You and everyone, Tobio."
"Bobo and Sieg either are damn good masking it or didn't give two fucks what a god said to them," he huffed jealousy whilst handling the sweat off his temple, "He… he knew my granny, boss. What did she do to grab Indra's attention?"
Danhauser didn't offer an answer, he didn't have one. They just stood there, basking under the sun.
"… You think my granny is alive somehow?"
He looked at his Mutated Knight with a frown, "You and Sae were there at her funeral, right?"
"I even paid with the help of Sae's parents the casket and the whole funeral! I saw her getting buried," he passed a distressed hand all over his wet hair, "but back then I didn't know that devils and gods were the real deal! Compared to my two cousins, I was clueless about the Supernatural World. What if a god or an evil spirit or some other weird shit grabbed her soul and did something that involved Indra?"
He noticed how the gray eyes of Tobio never backed away from him. Danhauser understood that his Knight was silently pleading for an answer, but he didn't want to fill his head with ideas and empty hopes. And yet, he didn't want to give him a verbal slap.
…
"There's… a chance that your grandmother Ageha may be alive," the gray-haired fished his words carefully, "but if she was, why did she never come back?"
"That's actually a good point, she would at least give me a hint that she's alive and kicking," Tobio swallowed hard, "then I guess she's in a better place then—underground."
"I didn't say that. This is the Supernatural World, anything can happen," the heir drawled, "What I'm saying is, there's a 50/50 that she's alive or dead. You know like Schrödinger's cat, err, Schrödinger's granny."
The brunet stared, "Schrödinger's granny?" he repeated, "You thought that was witty, didn't you?"
"Kinda, yeah."
"Well, it wasn't," Slash Dog chuckled regardless, "alright, let's hurry. The rest should be worried after not hearing the sound of explosions coming from miles away."
With that out of the way, they left the deforestation caused by them behind. Danhauser wasn't going to let the King of Devas get in his head, however—he made a vow during the train ride. He had something else to worry about.
Sairaorg Bael and Regulus.
Hence why he picked Tobio as his sparring partner for today. To gather more information about how the Independent Avatar Longinus worked. Even if the fighting style between Tobio and Sairaorg was as different as day and night, it could benefit him somewhat.
"My worthlessness is worthless against Sairaorg," the very man who was born without Power of Destruction and relied on his own body to win the majority of his matches. There wasn't anything really in which Danhauser could invalidate to have the upper hand against the next Great King. Sairaorg lacking his Bael powers was nothing but a curse in disguise for this match.
Nullifying his Touki was off the list. His Clan Trait's effectiveness came from disabling anything that relies on a magic system.
Using Senjutsu and Touki wasn't about waving a magic wand or invoking magic circles. It was to use the energy flowing in the body of a sentiment being at the cost of lifespan.
When Senjutsu or Touki practitioner used their abilities offensively, it came up with the price of draining their lifespan. But it didn't worry him in the slightest since Devils live longer and he could meditate to recover the numbers he lost, even further expand it.
However, he had something under his sleeve that could potentially wound Sairaorg.
"I could render his organs worthless," Danhauser glanced down at his hand and clenched it a few times. He applied this technique against Diodora and Creuserey respectively and it worked like a charm. "An ability I made up when I combined my Senjutsu and Worthlessness years ago. It changes the nature of my Clan Trait of rendering magic worthless into rendering organs and limbs worthless."
There was a small problem, "His Touki will get in the way," he lowered his arm with a click of his tongue, "He will definitely get surrounded by an aura of Touki before the fight. I can shatter it, but it will come back up until Sairaorg's life span reaches zero."
Without any of them using True Form and Balance Breaker, Danhauser could proudly say that they're equal in strength. But durability? That's a point for Sairaorg. Luckily, Danhauser had his speed to compensate.
Danhauser wanted to avoid as much damage as possible from Sairaorg's fists. The best he could do to stay safe was by keeping his distance from him and fire as many salvos as he could with his Demonic Gate of Babylon.
But his Gate of Babylon was useless the moment Sairaorg donned his lion armor thanks to the ability to grant their possessor protection against projectiles.
"I can render Regulus' abilities worthless." He's knowledgeable about the mechanics and abilities of the golden lion, so it shouldn't be an issue.
Would Danhauser have the chance of landing his Clan Trait on someone wearing his Balance Breaker and covered in Touki? His strength, defense, and speed will be boosted ridiculously that the only way for Sairaorg to be touched by Worthlessness was if Danhauser let himself get hit while surrounding himself on a cloak of Worthlessness.
It wasn't worth it. The best move would be responding by activating his True Form.
"But even while in True Form, I will be forced to trade blows with Sairaorg," he had regeneration and damage absorption—not damage nullification. He was forced to close gaps with Sairaorg if the latter goes Balance Breaker. There was just not another way of inflicting damage on the Heir of Bael.
If that happened, how could he win a fight against him? His defense was superior, his strength increased tenfold especially with Regulus' earth-breaking ability added to Sairaorg's punches. Plus, he's immune to projectiles.
He had Tobio in mind to fight him but it'd be risky as well. Not only would it confirm that his Mutated Knight had a Longinus to Ruval, but Sairaorg may shrug off the damage of Canis Lykaon's scythe.
Sairaorg survived blasts of Walburga's holy flames in the Light Novels, a Longinus well-known to turn Ultimate and even Satan Class Devils into ashes and dust with ease. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to think that he could handle his spirit getting slashed by Canis Lykaon.
That's how ridiculous Sairaorg's defense was.
Unrealistic and stupid.
He doubted Tobio would resist a punch from Sairaorg as well, given how Knight Pieces Users were a glass cannon.
"Why am I even pulling Tobio on this," he did his best to avoid a sigh to not capture Slash Dog's attention, "Lord Bael made it clear after my match against Rias that he wanted me to ignore the servants and go after the King instead. Fucking stupid."
Why did he even stick his nose in this in the first place? Lord Bael wasn't the one fighting.
"It's me," absentmindedly, his fingers sank into his palms, "It just makes this tournament… the Rating Games so… predictable."
So boring.
The thought of losing on purpose just to get on Lord Bael's nerves was really tempting.
But it would also disappoint Sairaorg in the long run.
"Danhauser!" The gray-haired's daze was gone once someone waved a hand in front of him. He blinked away his trance and focus on the culprit.
It was Valerie. She lowered her arm once his attention was on her, "I've been calling your name many times. Is something wrong?"
They were already with the remaining members of his peerage. Aside from Bova, none of them had any bruises on their bodies but wasn't hard to spot the tattering in their clothes.
As expected, they all drank from the grail to get a boon of self-regeneration except for the dragon.
"He's been like that after our training," Tobio supplied, leaning his scythe on a shoulder, "I guess I hit him hard in the head. My bad."
"Just thinking about our future games," Danhauser assured the blonde, "trying to see if there's a weakness we could explode on our opponents."
"You mean the Strongest Youth and the Blue Phoenix?" the brunet hummed, absentmindedly tapping his weapon on his shoulder, "got anything useful from our sparring?"
Danhauser's eyes briefly flickered over Canis Lykaon, "I may have picked some good ideas," he drawled, cleared his throat to face Valerie properly, "Anyway, how was your training?"
"It was challenging," the Dhampir side glanced at the Dragon, "Bova can pack quite the punch."
"It's good for you. A punch to the face now and then keeps the body pain tolerant," the Son of Tannin said sagely, "Fighting her wasn't disappointing. It gave our sparring a different flavor."
Danhauser nodded in acceptance and looked over Jeanne and Siegfried, "And you two?"
"It was fun!" Jeanne stretched out her arms a little, "I've heard a lot about Sieg and his feats… I've been looking forward to clash blades with him since then."
"Have to say, Eminence Strada taught you really well," Siegfried complimented her, "he made sure to teach you to handle a sword and how to rely on hand-to-hand combat. That will catch some enemies off-guard."
"Vasco is an amazing example to follow!" Jeanne fixed some blonde locks that scrambled on her face by a gust of wind, "he taught me so many things outside combat as well!"
"I know you want to push your life with the Church behind Jeanne, but you at least show some respect to Eminence Strada," the former exorcist chided her, "to address such an important chharacter by his first name…"
"But he doesn't mind. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because Vasco is my relative!" the Frenchwoman stuck up her arms, covered her elbow with her left hand, and turned her chin away, "That's right! You stand before Jeanne Strada—granddaughter of Vasco Strada himself!"
"What's with the awful pose," Siegfried muttered to himself.
"Bullshit," Danhauser called her out.
"Don't say that!" the blonde hushed him, "they almost bought it!"
"Not really," Tobio heard her just like everyone else, "The Cardinal Priest and you are way too different to be family. Plus, it's been confirmed by Kokabiel that he wasn't engaged to someone nor had any partners in the past."
"Oh yeah? You haven't seen my guns yet!" Jeanne flexed her arms, showing off, "so? What do you think? Are they equal or better than Vasco's?"
"Neither," Danhauser answered.
"Boo~!" Jeanne booed at him, sticking her tongue out, "Fine, he isn't. I wish he was, though. But… I guess I'm still a Strada? He took care of me these four years after all," she brought a finger between her lips, "Please don't tell anyone! Vasco has a reputation to maintain..."
"We get it. Your secret is safe with us, Little Strada," he winked at her, making her beam, "Alright, everyone. It's time to go back. After that, we go on separate ways."
Valerie raised an eyebrow, "Where are you going?"
"To Agreas again," Danhauser responded, "I'll meet Tiamat there, she took Ingvild with her. We'll take her where she was found."
Tobio winced, "It's time for her to face the truth?" he rubbed the back of his head, "damn… it's gonna tear her a new one from the inside."
"She is in for a rude awakening," Valerie agreed.
Their comments made Jeanne shuffle awkwardly, "Is there not another way? A less... bluntly way to make her accept her new circumstances?"
"She needs this wake-up call badly Jeanne," Danhauser's face softened, "I can't let her continue depriving herself of sleep."
The blonde drew a breath, "Just keep an eye out for her, okay?"
"Now that's a tough job for one person only," he playfully punched her shoulder, "how about we take turns, eh?"
"I'm in!" Jeanne nodded vigorously compared to the others, "we live in the same house, it's only fair that we do our bit too!"
"But first give her some space, especially after we come back," Danhauser ordered, "let Ingvild come out of her shell by her own merit. Roygun mentioned she's a curious one, she will make the first move."
"Then we should hurry, we don't want to keep Ingvild waiting, hm?" Valerie began walking toward the route of the house. As she passed, her fingertips brushed against the back of his hand.
Raising an eyebrow, a smiling Danhauser chased after her.
Their exchange didn't go unnoticed by Jeanne's keen eye. She tugged Siegfried's sleeve, "You saw it, right? No way you missed that!"
"… That doesn't mean anything," Siegfried shoved away her grip and words, "maybe she accidentally touched his hand. That's all."
"'Maybe she accidentally touched his hand' hurr durr!" the blonde tried to mimic the Knight's voice, much to his annoyance, "you can't hide behind excuses all the time, Sillygurd!"
"They are not excuses; they are reasons," the former Exorcist retaliated.
Jeanne brought her hands to her hips, tsking at his attitude, "Ya are a fine piece of work. Fine! You wanna be like that? So be it! Unlike other days, we have witnesses now! Bobo! Tobi! Remind this bigoted bastard his place!"
"Saw nothing, but I can smell it," Bova covered his nostrils with a growl, "damn pheromones, they always piss me off."
All eyes locked into Tobio and he shrugged, "It's clear as day, Sieg."
"The council of men spoke!" Smirking triumphally, the former Saint outstretched a hand expectantly, "That'd be twenty flyers pretty please. Tips are always welcome~!"
"…You just got lucky," The fuming silver-haired man slammed a bundle of bills into her palm and stomped after his master. "So lucky…!"
"Vielen Dank~!" Just to rub salt in the wound, Jeanne thanked him in his native language. She licked her thumb and counted the amount in her grip.
Bova watched her giggling gleefully, "You work on a bar and make more than that in less a minute," he pointed out to the fellow Rook, "Why make a bet?"
"It's not about the money, Bobo—it's about winning a bet with your friends. It's fun!" satisfied by the total, Jeanne pocketed her prize, "I'll frame it and hang it on my wall!"
Bova tilted his head to the side, "Aren't the flyers meant to be spent here in hell?"
"Not this one! The cash is the living proof of my win!"
"Like a trophy," he saw the fellow Rook bobbing her head in affirmation. He grinned in approval, "Heh, nice! I've done that too as well."
Jeanne's curiosity intensified, "Really? Like what?"
"The heads of my prey."
"Geez...! W-Why you gotta kill others as if it was a sport?!" Jeanne cried out, "didn't you feel any guilt at all every time their empty eye sockets stared at you?"
"Why I should feel guilt for my accomplishments?" Bova scowled, "You don't get it. Season after season, I've hunted countless prey in the Familiar Forest. I have slain them all in great numbers, and collected their heads in memory of these battles."
"I bet they smell bad..." Jeanne muttered.
"It's the smell of victory!" Bova boasted with a roar.
"The smell of crap you mean..."
"You don't trust me?" Bova grinned, "Fine, it's a bet then—our first bet! Your head for mine."
"Grrr..." she growled a little, "...! All right! You and me, on this spot, right now!" she cracked her neck before bringing her fists up, " Need I remind you, this fighting style was taught to me by Vasco Strada himself, and he used it to wrestle Fallen Angels into submission!"
"But can it put a Dragon into submission?"
"We gonna find out soon!"
"... Ordinarily, a mere human fighting against a Fallen Angel would end up in one-sided slaughter," Tobio then shuddered, "but in Vasco's case, I gotta accept that he has surpassed most Cadres..."
He recalled how Azazel mentioned how Vasco had Kokabiel in a chokehold. What made it worse was that the Apex of Humanity was going easy on the ten-winged Fallen Angel.
"C'mon you two," Slash Dog laughed nervously, "I don't think neither of you is ready to depart from this world!"
"The hell are you talking about?" Bova seethed at him, "this one, crush me? Ha! I can't imagine her doing that with those twiggy arms. She wouldn't even crack open a dragon egg!"
"If you come at me full throttle, I won't hold pull back any punches either!" Jeanne declared, swinging to the air, "there's no way I will lose to some amateur's fists! Whoachaaaa!"
Slash Dog wished boss was here to put the order with his two Rooks.
Speaking of the Devil, he saw the wide distance between Danhauser and them, "HEY!" he called out, causing Bova to glare in his direction at such speed that it looked like he gave himself whiplash. Jeanne on the other hand must've launched five meters into the air. "We've got to hit the road, they're ditching us already!"
Jeanne gasped, her thugness once again caged, "Why you didn't tell us sooner?!" she exclaimed, "let's hurry up then!"
"Tch," Bova blew a puff of smoke from his nostrils, "this isn't over yet."
As they walked away, Tobio released a sigh from his chest.
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As he traveled deeper into the dense forest, Tobio's eyes fixated on his cellphone, scrolling and reading the most rated comments in the post. Few of them were snort-worthy, others a simple groan sufficed, "There's a world war in the comments right now."
"They published the highlights of our match this morning, didn't they?" Siegfried recalled, "given the polemic tiptoeing around Clan Belial, it was meant to happen. Who's the publisher?"
"Uh…" Tobio scrolled at the bottom of the page, "Clan Gamigin."
"Of course they are," Siegfried rolled his eyes, "Well then. What are they saying?"
"The usual," Slash Dog replied idly, "people milking out the King Piece drama, others calling them out for beating a dead horse every day, yadda yadda."
"At least some people are standing up for us. Much better compared to our first day," the silver-haired commented and spotted something standing ahead from Tobio's way, "Tree."
The brunet perked up from the screen and avoided an embarrassing moment with the large plant. He pocketed his phone, "You mean back in the party? Well… those people were from influential households. And boss was the only Lesser House that participated in the castle as far as I know, of course, they were gonna look down on him. People of that rank are normally assholes," he grunted, "On the bright side, boss was voted as the Player of the Day. Should we tell him?"
"Don't!" Jeanne intervened, holding Chibi Bova like a stuffed toy, "Danhauser is in a good mood today, don't strip that away from him!"
"Come on. I'm just gonna hit him with the good news," he looked over this King who was a bit away from them, the only one matching his speed was the Pawn. He whistled, making the Devil and Dhampir look over their shoulders, "Hey boss! They voted you as the Player of the Day!"
Danhauser blinked owlishly, "Oh. That's, uh, great," he flashed him an awkward thumbs-up, "Thanks for letting me know," the gray-haired was quick to turn his attention back over the blonde with a wide smile, "So, where was I?"
Slash Dog deadpanned, "They're not even trying to hide it."
Siegfried pinched his nose, "Seriously, it's not even hard to be subtle about it."
"They are being subtle about it!" Jeanne countered, "They're not holding hands for instance! That should count for something, right?"
"Yeah, as subtle as a sledgehammer in the nuts that is," Tobio sarcastically said.
Jeanne ran ahead of the two Knights with Bova still in her arms, and started walking backward in front of them so she could face them as they walked, "Geez, can you guys be less supportive? Just look at them! They look great and happy together!"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for them. It's about time they made it official, but…" Tobio's mind drafted multiple and possible future events between the new couple. He cringed at the results, "Yeah… It's gonna be hard to hold my breakfast from now on."
"That whole dating practice is stupid," Bova didn't beat around the bush, "can't they just mate and get it over with? Isn't that why they're together, to begin with?"
"T-That's not how it works!" Jeanne swerved a bit as she was walking backward, handily dodging bushes and trees she couldn't see but was certainly aware of. "They've only started dating weeks ago! Y-you can't just casually jump the gun like that!"
"Yeah, you can. Only idiots take a span of months to make little progress," the dragon shot back, "It only takes us dragons a brutal fight to find the ideal mate to breed with."
"It took boss years to make it official," Tobio reminded him with a knowing smirk, "what does that make him?"
"A dumbass."
The brunet chuckled, "Hey man, don't hate the players, hate the game," he retorted, "See it this way, Bobo. Dating someone is like a mating rite so to speak. You guys have that, am I right?"
"Yeah, but it isn't damn slow."
"Some people prefer to jump straight to the sheets on the first date, others take things one step at a time," the brunet hummed in thought, "but boss doesn't strike me like that type of person either."
Jeanne's eyes stopped over the silent silver-haired, "Sieg, you are my only hope!"
"I applaud them for expressing their feelings and taking a step forward in their relationship," Siegfried congratulated them, but Jeanne could feel a "but" coming at any second, "But was that a wise move?"
Beaten, the former saint pouted, "Ya'll suck balls."
"This situation is broader than it looks like, Jeanne," Siegfried stuck with his guns, "isn't it frowned here that Pure Devils form a romantic relationship with Reincarnated Devils?"
"I think that's only applicable to a big shot, like someone from a Noble or Great House," Gremory and Bael flashed in Tobio's mind, "boss is from a Lesser House. Clan Belial is still a Lesser King."
"That is true, but Master has voiced out on multiple occasions about getting his rank back as a King," Siegfried recalled, "he will eventually have to follow their etiquette, mannerisms, and whatever the Great King has planned for him in the future."
Jeanne scowled, "So, they're cool with dating multiple people, but they're gonna lose their cool if it's only with one person?"
"With only one Reincarnated Devil," the silver-haired corrected her, "remember, in the Underworld the word "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" doesn't exist. Only fiancé, fiancée and concubines."
"They wouldn't care if he stayed loyal to one Pure Devil," Tobio looked over Siegfried for confirmation, "Is that it?"
"Now you're sort of getting it," Siegfried nodded at the fellow Knight, "what I mean is, if he was engaged to a Pure Devil, no one would bat an eye. Even though they encourage more."
"I still feel you're kinda nitpicking right now," Tobio saw that they finally reached the small mountain with a house attached to it. They began climbing the stairway made of pure stone, "they're just dating, not getting married or making a child."
"Maybe I am, or maybe I'm trying to get into the mindset of a Pure Devil. I do admit that Roygun's words did play a big role in my thinking," Siegfried's gaze flickered over the quiet Jeanne, "These are just my two cents, anyway. Feel free to disagree with them."
"… I guess you have a point," Chibi Bova's eyeballs almost burst out of its eye sockets as Jeanne tightened her embrace on him, "… does Valerie at least have a word in this? It's unfair for her."
"Unless this government which favors pure blood collapses for a new one, her voice is null I'm afraid," Siegfried said, "if she still wants to keep this relationship with Master, Valerie must swallow up her bitterness and accept her role in this society."
"Valerie isn't the type to hold her thoughts…" Jeanne pointed out.
"But she's smart," Siegfried retorted, "she won't snap to someone of a higher status than her, even less if it would give Master a bad image."
Jeanne looked up to the sky, expecting to find an answer in the clouds only to spot a few birds passing by, "Politics really is a cutthroat business..."
"In other news, water is wet," Tobio pushed aside a branch stuck on the mountain with a sigh, "maybe that's why we aren't in the capital of Ars Goetia, to stay low until boss stops trending."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Master knows this already, hence him booking the visit to the capital for another occasion," Siegfried furrowed his eyes, "the media will eat Master alive."
Jeanne was one of the first people that expressed her enthusiasm to explore the crowded city, but given the previous events, it became almost hard to delve into the streets without drawing any attention.
A shame, she was really looking forward to it. But the city won't get abducted by aliens nor get bombarded—it won't go anywhere. Lilith State will wait for her. So, she had all the time in the world to play as a tourist.
They climbed the final staircase and stopped just a step away from Danhauser and Valerie. The gray-haired devil reached out for the knob—but froze halfway.
Tobio cocked an eyebrow as the outstretched hand of Danhauser clenched for a second, "They're here," oddly enough, he chuckled while gently grabbing Valerie's arm.
The Dhampir didn't fight back from his grip as he relocated behind him, "What's wro—!"
And at cue, the doors opened from the inside.
Looking down to the gray-haired was the Head House that led and represented the Kings and Lesser Kings, accompanied by the first Great King.
Lord Bael and Zekram Bael.
The tensed silence was first broken by Zekram who leaned forward, "Boo."
Danhauser and his peerage said nothing.
But it fazed none of the older Devils. Lord Bael—whose glare was trying to turn the gray-haired into stone—spoke with obvious venom in his voice, "You've been busy, haven't you?"
"…"
"You think this is funny, Belial?"
"…"
"To go under our noses without prior notice, to stick your nose into matters that are none of your business," Danhauser could see a vein pulsing on the forehead of Lord Bael, "to trespass into a restricted area without my permission…! Who the hell do you think you even are?"
"…"
"So? How did you do it?" he sneered, "What is it now? Cat got your tongue? Speak quickly!"
"I'm getting proficient with Senjutsu," the heir lied as he naturally breathed.
"Oh? Is that so? So you experiment on people now? Don't forget what's your rank, Danhauser," Lord Bael sneered, "… I should put you behind fucking bars for what you've done."
"Now, now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," the amused Zekram finally intervened, "Remember the purpose of our visit, Lord Bael."
The Head of Bael looked over his ancestor incredulously, "But Great King! This brat intruded into a prohibited part of our territory!"
"At the cost of bringing your wife back," Zekram reminded him, "while it would be more professional if he requested permission from his superiors… the deed is already done and it brought positive results. I see no purpose in clinging on a past issue other than self-reciting a large dose of agita."
"But—!"
"Are you not happy about seeing your wife back on her feet?"
Lord Bael already had this reply at the tip of his tongue, but the intense stare of Zekram changed his answer right away, "Y-Yes…"
"Then drop it. Stop wasting your time trying to get on the level of a child," Elder Bael gestured with his chin at Danhauser, "We have more important matters to attend to than throwing a fit to the heavens."
Whatever insults Lord Bael had planned for the gray-haired Belial, they were swallowed and exchanged for a new set of words, "… Your next match is against Sairaorg," he notified Danhauser through clenched teeth, "expect this match to be harder compared to the one you had with that Gremory brat."
"Sairaorg's been devoting to training intensively these years—his peerage not lagging," Zekram added, "I'd be surprised if you weren't the source behind this burning passion of his."
"… Good thing we weren't slacking off either," Danhauser nodded to himself, "can my peerage use their Sacred Gears now?"
"Now this is the time to reveal what's under your sleeves, let the whole world witness the strength of the Great King Faction," Zekram folded his arms behind his back, a slight scowl framing his features, "… this also stretches to your servants that have a Longinus. I will prefer if they use them only if they're struggling. The less the Blue Phoenix and Great Marquis knows, the merrier."
"Understood. We'll see what we can," Danhauser crossed his arms firmly, waiting for them to move, "I'll see what I can do."
"Tread lightly from now on, Belial," Lord Bael snarled before leaving, bumping his shoulder with his.
The heir heard Zekram snickering and stood next to him, "If it makes you feel any better, Lord Bael wants you to win," he said while watching Lord Bael descending the staircase, "He can't handle the idea of Sairaorg being labeled as the Strongest Youth without the Power of Destruction."
Now he wanted to lose on purpose, "Is that his way of showing support? By threatening to put me behind bars?"
"Oh, Danhauser. Arresting you is the tamest thing he ever wanted to do with you!" The elder laughed boastfully before giving the gray-haired a parting pat in the back, "See you around, Danhauser."
Once the two adults left and were out of their earshot, Tobio was the first to speak, "Care to tell the class what did you do?"
"I pissed on his Cheerios this morning," Danhauser joked after stepping inside his house, "he's mad because Valerie healed his wife from the Sleeping Disease."
Siegfried sunk his eyebrows, "I may be hearing things, but I swear I heard you saying that you brought Lady Misla back with your Senjutsu. Or did I hear wrong?"
"I lied," he waited for everyone to step inside before closing the door, "they don't know the full potential of Valerie's Longinus. I want to keep it that way."
"Sweetie?" he spun around to see his mother peeking behind the wall. She smiled and stepped out of her hiding spot, "welcome back. How was the training?"
Danhauser smiled back, only widening when he saw his brother and Gilles appearing from the very same spot, "Hey mom," he greeted back once she stood in front of him, "same as usual, I guess I found something useful to exploit for my next match."
His mother said nothing as she pulled him in a tight hug.
Someone playfully ruffled his hair, "You'll be fighting Sairaorg," Diehauser retracted his hand, "but I believe they told you already."
"That they did," he looked over his shoulder for a split second, absentmindedly rubbing his mother's back, "Why did they come here anyway? Just to give me a message?"
"Apparently, that was the case," the Emperor shrugged, "they thought you'd be here, but I told Lord Bael that you were somewhere in the forest with your peerage. They told us to pass you the memo… until you stumbled upon them on the entrance."
"Lord Bael appeared to be angry when he came into our house," Calcabrina added after pulling back from his arms. "His face was blank, but I could see the fury dancing in his eyes."
Danhauser felt his lips move upwards, "Totally not my fault."
He ignored the scoffs coming from Valerie and Tobio.
"Heh," Gilles chuckled, "be careful about flying too close to the sun, Young Master."
"It's too late for that, Gilles," Diehauser told his Queen, "He already crashed into it."
"Nothing wrong stealing my own place in the sun," Danhauser glanced briefly over the clock hanging on the wall, "I wish I could stay, but I have to go."
"… That matter with Ingvild, isn't it?" Calcabrina had a sad smile, but she understood the situation, "a shame you can't even stay to join us on the table, but this is more important."
"The girl's been waiting for this long enough," Diehauser rubbed the back of his neck, "Unlucky, but I get it. You'll miss out on mom and Gilles' cooking, though."
"Then don't be a jerk and save me something."
"Nuh-uh. I don't think so."
That's when the aroma of cooked food tickled the nose of Tobio. He took a long sniff, "Hey, that… actually smells pretty good," the brunet praised, "what's the menu?"
"Young master told me you are a cook as well? Then I have a tempting offer for you," smirking, Gilles bowed and gestured to the end of the corridor, "Please follow me to the kitchen for a proper tour. I'll even let you have a bite and share my recipes, heh."
"Deal," Tobio did a salute to his King, "I'll get off your back, for now, boss. Good luck with Ingvild."
"Later," he waved as the male members of his peerage followed the Queen of the Emperor. He looked over his remaining servants, "What are you two doing? You'll miss it out."
"I'll stop in our room first to change some clothes," Valerie gestured at the scratches all over her, "these are already beyond repair. I want to start fresh."
He nodded in understanding and turned over his Rook, her expression and hesitant look answered his questions, "Gilles is not a bad person," he suddenly recalled his past and quickly elaborated, "Er…, not anymore."
"I know, I know… he just…" Jeanne grabbed her arm awkwardly, "he just makes me feel weird. As if I've met him way before you recruited me."
Danhauser's eyebrows furrowed, "I think we both know why."
"Joan of Arc," Valerie responded, "she's reacting to Gilles' presence."
"Makes sense. Gilles and Joan were companions-in-arms during the Hundred Years' War," Diehauser chimed in, "never imagined your Rook had the Maiden of Orleans within her. To have an incomplete Peerage, you have one of the most varied—if not bizarre—peerage members in Ars Goetia," he paused, "Only behind Satan Lucifer and me, of course."
"Ugh… I guess I'll have to get accustomed to it," Jeanne groaned a little while massaging the sides of her head.
"You're going to be alright?" he remembered when Joan of Arc briefly possessed her four years ago, when Satanael visited him in Kuoh Town, "You can come with us if you want."
"I'll be okay," she waved off his concerns, "I'll just go see what's cooked, my stomach is killing me too. So, if you don't mind…"
"Bon appétit," she giggled at his awful French and left to search for the dining table.
"I'll be taking my leave too, Danhauser," Valerie's face softened. He saw briefly how she reached out to him but stopped herself, "don't be late!"
He watched as Valerie left and stopped in front of their room. Their eyes met and she smiled faintly before going inside.
The click of the door fixated his focus over his family now, their reactions puffed up his chest with pride.
Diehauser had an eyebrow cocked and his mother covered her mouth with both hands.
The Emperor was the first to recover from his shock. He turned to his mother, "You saw it, didn't you mom?"
"Of course I did! The way she stood in her tiptoes and how close they were," Calcabrina's red eyes met the gray ones of her younger son, "you two… are you?"
Danhauser laughed sheepishly, "Yeah. It's official."
"Well then. Congratulations are in order," The Emperor patted his young brother on the shoulder, "I may not save you a dish for tonight, but I can sneak a bottle of wine to your room if you want."
"I'm so happy you found someone," his mother clasped both hands together, "I hope it goes well for the both of you in the future."
"Then I suppose she follows your criteria?" Danhauser asked, hopeful.
"My only criteria is someone that you will be comfortable with," Calcabrina's gaze trailed on Valerie's former spot, "she seems like a good girl from what you've told me. You always spoke highly of her during our training sessions too."
"Thanks, mom," Danhauser felt an unknown pressure leave his chest, "I'm glad we avoided that drama bait."
His mom had that rare cheeky smile, "So… grandchildren when?"
"Yeah, I think I'm leaving now."
Diehauser patted his shoulder with a chuckle, "Give me a call if something odd happens," he told him, "Tiamat will be there with you, but you never know."
"But most importantly, be careful out there," Calcabrina added.
"Understood, be back soon!"
.
.
Light and dark flashes.
Pattern. Motion. Color.
Objects.
An overriding physical perception.
Eyes closed, Ingvild could see a constant activity, creating splashes of color and patterns that changed quite randomly. It felt like she was surrounded by the stars.
She felt a gentle breeze caressing her skin, smell the saltwater on the sea and hear the gentle rhythm of the waves reaching the sand.
All of this. It was all familiar to her.
"A-Are we there yet?" She asked, but still kept her eyes shut.
"Yes," that was the cold and commanding voice that belonged to Tiamat confirming their superstitions, "do not open your eyes yet. Wait until the magic around us wears out."
And they obeyed. They stood there in complete silence. She was squirming on her feet, the anticipation was mercilessly mauling her from the inside.
But mom always told her that patience was always rewarded, and her words had truth and wisdom behind them.
After waiting patiently in the house of Belial, she was awarded. She was back at home.
Home!
But…
Even with all this excitement building on her, there was something off.
"W-Weird. Mom should've felt your magic from far away," Ingvild bit her lower lip, "She always found me by sensing my demonic energy."
It should be a common reaction to leaving the house after something out of the ordinary happened in your front yard. Right?
"S-She should be coming anytime soon…"
"Can you detect her demonic power?" she heard the voice of Danhauser, the question obviously directed at her.
"… She must be far away," Ingvild self-assured, "maybe she's searching for me!"
"You can open your eyes now."
And so they did.
What first caught their attention was the two-story building in which she passed her happy memories with her family.
After years of abandonment, it now became a pale shadow of its former self.
The paint was falling off from the rotten wood. Ingvild barely could see any trace of the pathway with all the weeds overtaken it ages ago. All windows smashed. The entrance missed a door.
With no door blocking the inside of the house, the Half-Leviathan could see from here the furniture all over the place—as if a hurricane danced around the house. Rats passed by, cobwebs over the walls.
A humble place that belonged to her small family now housed dozens of rodents and insects.
…
"It's… impressive how the building is still on its feet," she barely reacted to the words of the gray-haired devil's, "After approximately a hundred years of not getting human love and care, I expected to see nothing but destruction."
She shivered when he caught a strong smell of iron coming from the house—a scent she wasn't familiar with.
"H-How?" Ingvild finally recovered and asked in a low voice.
"Time," the Dragon King responded, "Time knocked on the front doors of your birthplace and took everything."
Ingvild spotted a certain area that made her stomach curl. There was no grass, only a small heaped pile of earth exposed to the sun—as if someone dug on that area in search of a treasure or to put a plant.
Whatever it was, it made her feel goosebumps.
She grabbed someone's sleeve and gently tugged it, pointing in the direction of the elevated dirt. "W-What is that?"
"… Graves," it was Danhauser who answered with hesitance, "two graves."
Her eyes never turned off from the excavating zone. Strangely enough, all the enthusiasm she had reserved exclusively for her parents was slowly ceasing away, "What's a grave?"
She heard him swallow hard, "To bury the deceased."
Ah.
"Danhauser told me you wanted to come back," she almost didn't recognize Tiamat's voice of how gentle and soft it became, "humans tend to put the bodies of their loved ones in the ground."
"…" The Leviathan didn't reply. Her feet gained consciousness of their own and walked to the direction of the graves with faltering steps.
As her legs grew weak, Ingvild fell on her knees—face to face with the graves of her family.
…
She didn't know what to say.
Every time she opened her mouth, the emptiness left her throat.
All the days she had been in Calcabrina's house as a guest, all nights in which she refused to sleep on a bed, it was time spent on practicing her speech.
The first words she planned to say once she saw her parents, how to greet them back after hundred years of yearning for their love.
Her imagination was always wild. Ingvild expected a tear-jerking reunion with her parents, her running straight to them and tackling them into a hug. To wave goodbye to Danhauser and Tiamat and thank them for their hospitality as they left. Ingvild was mentally ready for the happy ending.
Not this. She didn't put any thoughts into how to bid a proper goodbye and leave them behind.
Her head felt lighter. Ingvild's beatings on her chest continued since she touched land, but it was for different reasons now.
All that excitement and anticipation of coming back home were gone, replaced by nothing.
She should be crying, but she's unable to do so as well. Why? Was it because she subconsciously knew the harsh truth of her parents? Was she lying to herself all the time to cope with the grim results? Only for reality to hit her back with ten times the strength?
And yet it still hurt, as if someone yanked her heart out of her ribcage, mauled it over right in front of her, and shoved it back where it belonged.
Her orange eyes were still staring at her parents, but they were unfocused; they looked into nothing as if she was in her own little world.
That's all she could do.
...
Answers.
Ingvild needed answers.
She wanted to know where everything went wrong? What caused all… this?
Was this all her fault?
She didn't know.
Because she fell into this Sleeping Disease?
She didn't know.
Or because she was born into this world?
She didn't know.
Or because she had this Sacred Gear everyone kept talking about?
She didn't know.
"Ingvild…"
A pair of humanoid shadows towered over her and her parents, blocking the rays of the sun. After being inside her head for so long, she failed to hear their footfalls approaching from behind.
"Are you done, child?" Tiamat asked.
…
"Can I see them?" Ingvild whispered, lacking the spirit to turn around and meet their eyes, "… can we exhume mom and dad?"
"… You won't recognize them," the dragon eventually said.
A pang to her chest.
"I-I see," The Leviathan glanced back at her deteriorated house, longingly, "is it worth getting inside? The... t-that smell is awful…"
"It's blood."
"T-then I'm done," sniffing, Ingvild shakily stood up and dusted off her arms. Her chest felt heavy, "I-I want to leave."
She felt a weight at the top of her head, looking up she saw it was Danhauser's hand patting her, but said nothing. He let her actions do the talking.
"Tiamat."
"Yes."
A magic circle similar to the one that brought them here appeared under their feet. It started to release a gentle light that enveloped them.
Afterward, they were teleported out of the Human World.
In the end, she never gathered enough courage to even say goodbye.
.
.
"We were in the middle of nowhere. On a small island surrounded by nothing but water—I couldn't find any signs of civilization even with my enhanced sight," Danhauser told his mother who was listening intently. He paused to eat a piece of pork, "It also had a manmade wooden dock with a boat parked nearby."
"And what was the state of this boat?" Calcabrina asked.
He pursed his lips, "It was upside down and missing some parts."
It was nighttime at the time they returned to the Underworld. Tiamat afterward took off either on route to Agreas or the Familiar Forest.
Danhauser and Ingvild were back in the house. They stopped over the kitchen to see if there was anything to fill their stomachs after a long day. Plus, the Half-Leviathan could use some distraction from what happened today. Even if it was futile, it was worth a shot.
They stumbled into his mother on their way there as well, who decided to join her child at the dining table.
She sighed, "What a weird place to live. On a small island in Europe, far away from a country. No one would notice when they got killed. An easy prey with no witnesses around."
"It gave me some chills being there," the heir admitted, "being surrounded by so much water... just imagine tripping over and suddenly falling into the depths. Messed up, I tell you."
He'd rather avoid past mistakes.
Feeling his head suddenly go light at the thought, Danhauser focused on the Half-Devil. She was toying with her food with a fork, her mind either trying to process everything that happened today or just furtherly confusing her. He was about to finish his dish and Ingvild barely took a bite of hers.
"Their killers didn't make it either," Danhauser continued, stabbing the last piece of steak with the fork, "Tiamat said that there were also unidentified corpses inside the house wearing the insignia of the Old Satan."
Honestly, she was surprised how the Dragon King knew who the parents of Ingvild were. Their sense of smell was something else.
"Her parents had the last laugh then," Calcabrina placed a finger between her lips in thought, "Maybe her mother was still part of the Old Satan Faction and that place was like an outpost for them? To cover some ground in the Human World? Until falling in love with a human, thus prioritizing her family over her duties."
Exactly the role of Kuoh Town. It belonged to the Great King Faction—but they slowly lost their interest in the small town. A good outcome, the less attention the Great King had over his cousin, the merrier.
"Or maybe she ran away from her household," Danhauser brought the food close his mouth took the bite, "and left her Household behind because of a conflict and clash of ideals."
"To start a new family," then again, if they meshed together with their theories, it would still make some sense, "when Tiamat found Ingvild, was she alone?"
"That's what she told to Ajuka."
"I find that hard to believe," Calcabrina puckered her temple, "she's been in a coma before the First World War started, someone must have been looking out for her."
"I could ask Ajuka if you're suspicious of Tiamat," the heir offered.
"I'm not distrusting Tiamat's words, but I feel there's more than meets the eye. Maybe if we just simply ask we can have the puzzle solved," Calcabrina shook her head. "That aside, I still find it hard to believe that I'm sitting on the same table with a true Leviathan."
Danhauser cocked an eyebrow, and emptied his mouth with an audible gulp, "true Leviathan?"
"If silver and hazel were the main colors of Clan Lucifer, then purple and orange were for the House of Leviathan," Calcabrina explained, "Katerea didn't share any of these characteristics… which makes me conclude that Ingvild and Katerea could be second cousins. Similar great grandparents, different grandparents—hence Katerea losing a large proportion of similarities with Clan Leviathan aside from bloodline."
"Do you know her?" They turned to Ingvild who finally looked up from her food, "Katerea. D-Do you know her?"
"I… yes," Calcabrina replied, "but she's not a good person, dear. She's a terrorist."
Ingvild shifted her attention to him now, pleadingly. He caught up, "A terrorist is someone who causes violence and fear to achieve a political aim."
"Ah," Ingvild went back to her now cold food, "I see…"
…
"I'm sorry you have to experience the loss of your parents." Calcabrina gave the hybrid a pitiful look, "It's horrible to lose a loved one. It must have been painful to you as well…"
Danhauser swore to see his mother firing a glance in his direction.
Ingvild abruptly left her seat, "No!" her breath hitched at their stares. "I…" she hung her head low and brought a trembling fist to her chest.
She fell silent afterward. Calcabrina nor Danhauser could have a proper deduction of her expression—unkept bangs of purple hair shadowing half her face.
The Leviathan finally looked up, "N-No!" she said once again, this time with a big smile, "It's fine, it's something I did to myself. I don't find it painful or anything…"
"…"
The deep silence didn't discourage the orphan from continuing, "It's quite the opposite; it's like a thrill of excitement and adventure! I can't stop thinking about the things I can do in this new world now that I'm awake!"
Calcabrina didn't show any reaction, not even a blink.
"Right, Danhauser?" He felt a tug on his heartstrings once her orange eyes darted to him now, "From now on, I look forward to what the future has for me!"
"You moron," Danhauser looked to his side to find his mother's seat empty. He turned back in time to see Calcabrina leaning and pulling the startled Half-Devil into a hug. "You don't have to act so strong."
The purple-haired stood still, her big eyes stared into space as her baffled body figured a good counter-response. Her brain stuttered as it ciphered for a fitting answer.
Ingvild's pent-up emotions won over her. She bit her lip while tears roll down her rosy cheeks. Defeated, she buried her face into the crook of Calcabrina's neck and returned the hug.
"Forgive me…" Danhauser heard the grateful sob as Ingvild tightened the embrace, "F-Forgive me. I'm sorry… please forgive me..."
He decided to give them some space by grabbing his plate and store it inside the dishwasher. Afterward, he left and ended at the center of the corridor.
There was nothing else Danhauser could apport to make Ingvild feel safer and better—the embrace of a mother speaks louder than a thousand words.
He found the entrance of his room but decided not to enter yet.
Instead, he shoved a hand into his pocket, "It's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?" he pulled a cellphone and started searching on his contact list, "I wonder how she's doing."
The phone service in the Underworld was on another level if he could easily communicate with people from the human world.
It worked like a charm, [Hello?]
"Cleria!"
[Oh, hey Danhauser,] his cousin greeted back, he could hear the television being loud in the background, [It's been a while, huh?]
"Yeah, sorry about that," he gave a sheepish chuckle, "I've been centering my attention on the Underworld that I didn't have time to give you a call. But anyway, how are you holding up?"
[I'm doing good, thanks for asking. And you?]
"As for now? Everything is looking great I guess. I won my first Rating Game match, so I suppose that counts for something. "
…
"So…"
[So… Anything new happened?]
A big smile crept his way onto his face, "Well, I have a girlfriend now."
…
[Oh! That's great. Well, congrats.] a long pause, [Danhauser, look. I need to hang up. I'm in the middle of something.]
His smile faltered a bit, "Really?"
[Yeah, I'm with someone right now. A friend, she's staying at the house.]
"I… I didn't know," her words felt like a punch to the gut, "then… I'll call you tomorrow?"
[Yeah, sure.]
"Alright then, I'll get off you back then," he pursed his lips, "Love you."
[Love you too.]
He pulled the phone off his ear as the call finished, looking at the blocked screen that reflected his frown.
"Now, now. What's with that long face?" a familiar voice approached from behind, "Is it because I wasn't paying you enough attention lately? You poor thing~!"
"Hey, Roygun," he greeted weakly the pink-haired woman.
"Hey yourself," she stood in front of him, arms folded, "I heard you'll be fighting the Strongest Youth now."
"You heard right," Danhauser pocketed his cellphone, "I was planning to tell you eventually, but things spread quickly around here it seems."
"Walls have ears," Roygun simply said, "And do you have any countermeasures?"
"I have some ideas," he muttered, "but they still need some tweaking before they can turn effective. I don't know…"
She stared at him for a full minute, "Something is in your mind," she noted, "who you were speaking to on the phone?"
"Cleria," he patted the pant pocket that held his cellphone, "I wanted to talk with her since it's been a while since we talked, but she acted a bit cold today…"
"Maybe you woke her up," Roygun shrugged, "At this hour it should be past bedtime in Japan."
"She wasn't in her room, I could hear the TV blaring from the phone."
"Maybe she fell asleep on the sofa then," the pink-haired retorted, "She works hard at Kuoh Academy as the Principal of the school. She must feel exhausted."
That was a good point from Roygun. Since Danhauser wasn't there to give her a hand around the school and keep an eye around the town itself, her responsibilities doubled.
"Maybe after Sairaorg's match, I can pay her a visit, but…" Out of the blue, it struck him, "Danhauser."
"Hmm?"
"She called me by my name," he saw her dumbfounded stare, "Cleria always calls me either Danny or Dan the Man, but never Danhauser."
"Overthinking now?" She playfully shook her finger at him. "Calm down. You are blowing the situation out of proportion."
"I… well. I guess so…" he sucked on his teeth, "She mentioned she invited someone over. A friend."
Roygun had a devilish grin, "Uh-huh. A 'friend'."
He saw her Roygun summoning the air quotes and rolled his eyes, "You have any clue who could it be?"
"Somebody from the school staff I suppose," another shrug from the pink-haired, "Cleria's strength lies on making friends with anybody. Everyone has a good opinion of her in Kuoh."
"Then I guess we'll meet eventually," His lips slowly turned upward, "For now, I want to spend time with Valerie."
"Oh?" An amused eyebrow went up, "You're suddenly in high spirits now, Danhauser?"
"Am I?" He rubbed the back of his neck, "… Hmm. Well, that's not good. The higher my spirits, the more likely I am to overlook potential dangers."
"Ugh, hush," Roygun chided him, "I'm not saying it as a bad thing. It was a mere observation. In fact, I'm glad you found a girlfriend."
"Well, now that you found your half-orange, which parts of the Underworld do you plan to take her for future dates?" Roygun placed a hand to her hip, mysterious intentions behind that smirk of hers, "Ars Goetia has an abundance of luxurious restaurants that can make you drool at the sight of their top-notch dishes. You could also explore the beautiful forests if you two can't stomach the sights of nobles."
"I'll keep our dates strictly for the Human World only," he answered, "Pure Devils will throw a fit if they see me going out with a Reincarnated Devil, especially if I invited her to one of those fancy places. Plus, the Human World has good places too."
"Good. The fewer know about your girlfriend, the merrier. Nevertheless, I have another two cents that will help you in the long run... you better take this to heart," she reached to cup his cheek and leaned until her lips were inches apart from his earlobe. Roygun whispered, "Women tend to find a 'taken' man more attractive."
Danhauser remained paralyzed while the pink-haired woman patted his face a few times. She took a step back and winked at him, "See you in bed, tiger."
He blinked away his shock and watched her go away, "It's way too late to be wandering around the house. Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen to see if anything was left to eat," Roygun replied without halting her steps, "it isn't healthy to sleep with an empty stomach!"
Just as she rounded the corner, Danhauser turned back to the entrance of his room and twisted the knob. He only opened a crack of the door and an odd smell intruded to his nostrils.
That didn't stop him from stepping inside.
It wasn't hard to spot Valerie in her nightgown.
She was on a chair, holding a cup of wine and swirling it gently. The table in front of her contained opened wine bottles and a large piece of cheese.
It's worth noting that the Dhampir was using her Longinus to drink wine. Her deep, red eyes following the waves produced by her actions.
She brought the beverage close to her nose and whiffed it, humming contently.
Danhauser announced his presence with a little knock on the door frame. He broke into a smile as she gave him a startled look. "That explains why the bedroom stinks like my dirty socks."
The Dhampir sniffed the air a few times before scowling at him, "Absolutely untrue."
He chuckled and leaned on the door frame, "So, how did a whole set of wine and an almost finished cheese ended on the table? Sneaked onto the kitchen when everyone left?"
Valerie placed her Longinus back on the table, a look of trouble framing her features, "It's for the best if you take a seat, it would be awkward to speak with you looming over me…" she beckoned him to move closer. "Sit with me."
Danhauser accepted her invitation but before sitting down, he bent down to peck her cheek. "Scoot over."
She shifted enough to give him enough space, sharing the same chair, "First and foremost. How did it went?"
"… Ingvild's being comforted by my mom, blowing out all of her emotions as we talk," he dragged a hand across his face, "I'm worried that I overdid it."
"You did the right thing," Valerie supported him, "Pain makes a great and wise teacher."
"Perhaps, but not a lot of people can handle harshness," he sighed weakly, "what's done is done. Anyway, what am I seeing here? You own me a story."
Her lips turned into a thin line, "I…I think they know about us, Danhauser," she gave him the answer he was searching for, "Your brother came into your room while you were gone. He was holding a box full of wine and offered it to me, which I gladly accepted."
"Emphasis on 'gladly accepted' by the way," he whistled at the sight of opened bottles, "looks like you've been drinking your sorrows away. Am I that bad of a boyfriend?"
She looked at him incredulously, "Danhauser, do you understand what's happening?"
"Do you?"
…
The Dhampir studied his amused features cautiously, "… Was I wrong to think about the worst possible scenario?"
"Absolutely," he laughed, "Missus. They're happy for us, that's all."
"Is that so?" she tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'm not a Pure Devil after all. Not even a full Vampire, but… a half of one."
"Stressing like that will only turn your hair gray, Little Missus."
Her eyes briefly darted to his hair, "That explains quite a few things about you."
"Ha-haa," He rolled his eyes, "what about the cheese?" he signaled to the dairy product, "it grew a pair of legs and stepped inside our room?"
"Also a gift. Your brother pointed out that wine is well paired with cheese amongst other things," she explained, "so I asked him if it wouldn't be a nuisance asking for a portion… which he replied with 'anything for my sister-in-law'." She turned to him with a puzzled expression, "what does the in-law stand for anyway?"
"Just… ignore him," Danhauser groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "aside from the Rating Games, he can be a good clown."
"You're blushing."
"Found any good combinations so far?" he returned the conversation to its previous topic, "or are you lost?"
"I did, actually," The Dhampir accepted the change of conversation by summoning her second Holy Grail and pouring wine on it, "I sipped so far four different types of wine, four have a full-body, sweet and bold character," Valerie lent him her Longinus, "Your brother calls this a blue stilton and has an intense savor that makes a perfect contrast."
He was about to grab the remaining piece of the cheese, but Valerie grabbed it first.
The Dhampir had that shy smile as she aimed the cheese at the entrance of his lips with her remaining hand cupped under his chin, "S-Say ah!"
He held back an embarrassed chuckle and played along, "Ah!" immediately, he felt how the food ended inside his mouth. He chewed on it while taking small sips of wine now and then, "Guess wine tasting became a hobby of yours," he swallowed the food.
"It became more than just a pastime…" she muttered, "Since my return to father's castle, I drank wine as a way to substitute my crave for blood."
"Why though? You were in the Tepes Castle, they must have dozens of rooms stockpiled with enough blood bags to feed an entire kingdom."
"They never store blood on recipients, Danhauser," Valerie pursed her lips, "They feed straight from the source—because blood is palatable or something between those lines. They take them out of their confinement and hold them on the dining table, imbibing on their necks until the last drop… I didn't want to partake in their activities. Definitely a worse smell than your dirty socks," she briefly thrummed her nails on the table, "Plus, as a Half-Human, drinking the blood of another human—and against their will nonetheless—is… revolting."
"I knew letting you go to Romania was a terrible idea," he shut his eyes to knead them, "must have been awful spending four years there."
Not like Devils were saints anyway. The Evil Pieces, for starters, had been questioned for multiple reasons and sources.
"It was exactly as I expected it to be," the hybrid shrugged faintly, "I never felt welcomed given the intense glares fired at my direction whenever I crossed paths with noble Vampires. And yet, it's because of father that I have grown stronger, so I can't honestly complain much about the lack of hospitality."
"Well, at least something good came out from it," he muttered. "I'm your boyfriend now. That should make them think twice before trying to intimidate my Little Missus."
"Oh yes," Valerie looped her arms around his neck, never backing off from his gray eyes, "I can see it right now. Their frightened looks, knocking knees, and stuttered words once they realize that I'm dating none other than Dan the Man."
"Aren't you tired of flogging the same dead horse over and over again?"
"Ehehehe… maybe," her kiss came with electric tingles, the desire to play, "but your reactions will never bore me."
"Ahem," a gasp, and Valerie instantly retracted her arms off his neck and stare behind him with wide eyes.
Danhauser glanced over his shoulder to spot at the entrance his smiling mother and a flushed Ingvild standing at her side.
He observed the change of wardrobe on Ingvild, exclusively only for nighttime. She was wearing a pajama of the same color as her hair and a nightcap.
"It's wonderful to see you two lovebirds getting along so well," Calcabrina beamed at them.
Valerie coughed behind a fist, doing her best to hide her red cheeks.
"Y-You could've knocked first, mom," It was just embarrassing when your mother sees you in such a situation with a girl.
It's like getting caught watching porn.
"Next time make sure to close the door then," Lady Belial devoured their reactions with a laugh, "Haha, I'm sorry. It was just so heartwarming that I couldn't help but tease you a bit."
He released a long groan, dropping his shame away in the process, "If Ingvild is with you, then I guess she's staying here."
"That's right," Calcabrina stood behind the purple-haired and placed both hands on her shoulders, "From now on, she will be sleeping on the same bed like yours. I hope there isn't any problem with that?"
He looked over Valerie, who shook her head. He turned back to his mother, "I doubt Roygun will be against it as well. Sure, she can stay."
"Wonderful! Then I'll be getting off your backs then," Calcabrina reached out for the exit while waving at them, "don't stay up too late you three! Love you, sweetie!"
"Love you too, mom," he stopped waving once the door clicked shut. His focus was now placed on the Leviathan who was sniffing the air.
She had that bashful look, "S-Smells weird…"
Danhauser smugly wiggled his eyebrows at the blonde, "I told you so."
The Longinus User huffed.
"Let's all go to bed before Roygun comes back," he suggested, "I don't want to spend a full night awake because of her snores."
Valerie immediately left her seat, "Now that's an idea I can support."
"Is it really that really bad…?" Ingvild wondered.
"Ever heard a dragon's stomach growl?"
"Well…" Ingvild yelped and shook her head furiously, "N-no! I never did!"
"Why, that sounded like a lie…" Valerie murmured.
He chuckled, "Anyways, it's really awful. So hurry up."
"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?" Ingvild fidgeted with the sleeves of her pajama, "I-I can sleep somewhere else if you want…"
"I can stay on the sofa if I make you uncomfortable," he offered.
Valerie scowled. "I'd rather you not do that."
"I told you before that I didn't mind," the Half-Devil reminded him, "I just don't want to get between you two… but I don't want to be..."
He frowned at that, "Relax, you won't," he promised her as he climbed the bed, followed by his girlfriend. "Now hop in."
With a stretch and a yawn he made, Danhauser got comfortable on the bed just as Valerie casually snuggled right on his chest.
The purple-haired joined afterward, picking the center of the bed for herself. The moment Ingvild's head reached the pillow, her eyes grew heavier and her body became floppy.
He stifled a laugh, "Tired?"
Ingvild yawned in return, "I… I still don't want to sleep," she confessed.
"But you have to, it was part of our deal, wasn't it?" he watched her give a reluctant pout, "there you have it. It's also important for your health."
"I get that but…" Ingvild traced circles on the bed, "It gets lonely… I-I don't want to be by myself ever again. It's scary to be alone. How could sleep feel even safe now...?"
"... She seems to feel down," Danhauser pursed his lips, "As expected. I can understand her situation, so I should do this slowly without forcing her."
"… Your room looks really peaceful, and the house looks in a good state... unlike mine." The Leviathan whispered once he saw how Valerie fell asleep already, "Danhauser. Can you promise me something?"
He embraced his girlfriend, pulling her body closer, "Yeah?"
"Whenever I wake up, I won't be alone, right?" the Half-Devil asked, "Someone will be there?"
"You can count on that," Danhauser assured her, "the house is small but has lots of people on it. You may wake up on an empty bed, but go out to the corridor and you'll hear familiar voices."
"I see… that's a relief," The muscles of her face relaxed whilst she shifted around until he was met with her back, "Good night."
"She went quiet all the sudden. Is she...?" He watched her intently and clicked his tongue, "Yeah, she's trembling. Just going to bed weights her down with so much stress."
"Ingvild?"
"..."
"She doesn't answer, but I doubt she's still asleep," He resisted the urge to strike his own face. Even if her chapter was finished, it'd be stupid to claim that her case was solved and could be put on a shelf while letting it catch dust and cobwebs as the days transpired.
What Danhauser only started was another storyline of her, and not of the good type.
Stupid. So fucking stupid.
"I should... I should let her be."
And the cherry on top was the Evil God Balor inside Valerie's Longinus.
Wasn't that entity within Gasper's Sacred Gear in the first place? How something like that ended up locked in the Holy Chalice? He has no clue.
"But I'll eventually get answers," he played with the blonde locks of his girlfriend, "Or at least try to."
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"Then what was the point of this fucking meeting?!" Feeling a wave of fury possess him, Zaorama released his pent-up frustration by slamming a fist on the table.
He glared to the opposite seat occupied by the organizer of the gathering, who seemed unfazed by his outburst.
Matanbuchus Belial.
Not counting Rofocale Lucifuge, the other houses that served Clan Lucifer in the past participated as well. Satanachia. Agaliarept. Fleurety. Sargatanas. They were seated in a row, facing the gray-haired devil like a silent panel of judgment.
After taking a long drag of his cigarette, Matanbuchus spoke, "Control yourself, Lord Nebiros."
"Control myself?" Zaorama parroted incredulously, "We all came here in good faith to confront the current government of Ars Goetia and return to the system, laws, and doctrine of the Original Satans! And you suddenly tell us that we will not go to war…? That we will not fight for the good cause?!"
"We were ready to fight to our last breath," Lord Sargatanas agreed, "or die trying."
"I'm starting to question the direction of this meeting," the head of Satanachia voiced his suspicions, "… is this a trap implemented by Lucifuge?"
Their animosity could be felt radiating in the air, not lunging at him because of Malacoda keeping an eye on them.
The chuckle of Matanbuchus only got to their nerves. The former head of Belial twisted the tip of the cigarette on the ashtray, "Who filled your head with so much crap?"
"Are we mistaken then?" Zaorama questioned.
"Somewhat. I do believe there will be a conflict, but not one supported and pushed by military action," Matanbuchus theorized, "I want to avoid bloodshed, especially when there's no chance of us winning."
"Are you looking down on us, Matanbuchus?" Lady Fleurety growled.
"I don't think any one of us is a Super Devil, hmm?" Matanbuchus shot back.
To his surprise, Zaorama spoke, "My... ancestor had a long-term project about artificially making Super Devils," he grunted, "Unfortunately, all his data disappeared in a puff of smoke just like him."
"Unlucky. Maybe we have tacticians that can outsmart the minds of Ajuka and Falbium?" As everyone stayed silent, Matanbuchus continued, "Don't forget what happened to the Old Satan Faction after daring to stand against the Remaining Pillars," he rubbed salt to the wound, "not to mention the mediocre results of your ancestors after the Civil War. Sirzechs will not tolerate a second King Scandal to transpire in the streets of Ars Goetia. He will use any means necessary if it's to restore peace."
"In other words, he's gonna one-shot us," Malacoda surmised it.
"Exactly."
"Man you're such a pussy!" Malacoda whined, "If Sirzechs is the one making you piss your panties, then leave it to me. I'll put that tomato-haired fuck in his place."
"Uh-huh," Matanbuchus rolled his eyes, "As you did during the Civil War."
"I told you, I let him win, ya assfuck," Evil Tail countered, "No way I was going to tarnish my reputation by beating the shit out of a brat during a war! I had a cramp too by the way."
"Let's get this conversation down where it belongs," Zaorama tapped his knuckles on the table. "What's your brilliant master plan, Matanbuchus?"
"We will play their game and follow their rules," Matanbuchus made a finger-tent, "We will add the six houses as members of the Remaining Pillars."
"Six?" Malacoda inquired, curving an eyebrow, "So you gonna recruit Lucifuge as well? Yeah… good luck with that."
"Nope. I'm involving Clan Malebranche into this as well."
"Oh, sure," Malacoda shrugged nonchalantly, "You have my blessing!"
"… I rather die hanged than serve that bastard Bael," Lord Nebiros squared his jaw, "my loyalty only lies to the Satan bloodline."
Aside from Malacoda, he received supportive nods from the other Pure Devils.
"You won't be worshipping the feet of House Bael," Matanbuchus countered, "Each one of you will leave City of Dis and annex to Ars Goetia for a single purpose; to become stepping stones in the promotion of Clan Belial into a Great House."
The most powerful houses amongst the Remaining Pillars—the Great Houses. The main six leaders of Devilkin situated in Ars Goetia in which they apply immense authority, power over their Noble Houses, Lesser Houses, and territories and answer to none.
Sirzechs Lucifer was considered a leader as well, but not a household. The Four Great Satan only had full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction of the independent city and enclave Lilith State.
"Yo, what? Hold on my dick for a second," Malacoda rubbed his eyes, "did you just say 'Great House'?"
"I did."
Evil Tail waited for his brother-in-law to crack under the pressure and laugh like a hyena, but he was serious, "Holy shit, you ain't kidding," he whistled out, "But how? Is it even allowed?"
"There are no laws, rules or articles that impedes any Clan to ascend into a Great Pillar," Matanbuchus assured him, "the only requirements are that the Household seeking promotion to be a superpower is to be a member of the Remaining Pillars only, be a leading market and to somehow have recruited a good number of underlings to their cause."
"In other words, the spotlight is on us," Agaliarept finally had a word, "Not like it matters. If there's a member of a Satan Household that seeks our support, we will follow."
"Yes, please. With your help, we may yet have a chance."
"Shouldn't you have recruited underlings that are part of Ars Goetia instead?" Lady Fleurety asked.
"It never specified that the subordinates had to be part of Ars Goetia," Matanbuchus said, "it's preferable, but not forced. However, don't be shocked if they start firing glares at your direction since your connection to the Original Satans."
"That didn't answer my question."
"Clan Belial is going through trying times, Lady Fleurety. It ranks as a Lesser King, none of Ars Goetia will follow the lead of a Lesser House until they manage to get people under their rulership. Is that enough of an answer?"
She hummed in return.
"Are you sure that's all the requirements?" Malacoda suddenly insisted, "are you like really, really, REALLY, sure that's all needs to be done? It smells kinda fishy."
Matanbuchus frowned, "What's on your mind?"
"I haven't nosedived into politics as you did, but I've learned a thing or two these four years," Malacoda stated, "Look, some of the most powerful Noble Houses—like Phenex for instance—shits all over the smaller Great Houses such as Furfur and Marbas in terms of wealth. And yet, they ain't aiming to go for the top and still prefer to kneel and be part of the Marquisate of Gamigin. Isn't that odd? They can make their own faction!"
"Maybe Phenex doesn't want to bite off more than they can chew," Matanbuchus shrugged, "maybe they're comfortable in the position they find themselves in, maybe they're scheming in the shadows… or maybe they're afraid that the other Great Houses will immediately do everything at their disposal to abolish their reign."
"Abolish them?" Echoed Zaorama, "will they swallow their pride by rallying against fresh meat?"
"They are not typically allies, nor are they strictly enemies of one another," Satanachia said, "Rather, the six prefer to remain autonomous under most circumstances."
"That in a nutshell. But also, the last thing the Six Great Pillars want is a seventh competitor that could grow into a potential threat and break the delicate power balance they have been cultivating over the years," he pointed out, "and the easiest way is by striking in unison on their first days as a weak, Great House. It also gives a warning to the other Noble or Lesser Houses if they feel ambitious."
As far as Matanbuchus was concerned, that balance was off the window with Great King Bael and Archduke Agares allying together.
"… Should we expect opposition?" Sargatanas asked.
"Oh, absolutely," Matanbuchus confirmed it, "expect mostly Bael and Agares to give a fight. Any questions?"
"What role does Lady Ingvild plays in all this?" Zaorama demanded. "It's because of her that Clan Leviathan is still alive. With her Household, we have seven in total."
"Wouldn't Clan Leviathan be better suited to become the Great House instead?" Agaliarept suddenly added.
Matanbuchus' mouth became a thin line. Ingvild Leviathan was another can of worms that he wanted to open in an unknown future, but the Lucifer Five already made it impossible by bringing her into this conversation.
Even if they see Danhauser as the second generation of Satans, they favored more Ingvild as the first Satan Bloodline, even if she was Half-Devil.
"… As you all may know, the Old Satan Faction has left a bad image of his ancestors for years," the gray-haired started, "Ars Goetia has already expressed their hatred of your masters by celebrating their downfall with the Anti-Satan Faction festive. If the Remaining Pillars find out that a descendant of the Four Great Satan is still alive, they will demand Ingvild's execution immediately."
"Damn, we already started by shitting the bed," Malacoda clicked his tongue. "She will be the first skeleton in our closet, huh?"
"And hopefully, the last one as well," Matanbuchus added, "This is why her Household isn't suitable to carry on the mantle of Great House. My suggestion will be is to keep her in the shadows and prevent the bloodline Leviathan from falling to extinction."
"… Very well," Agaliarept gave a demurred nod.
"Good. Anyone else?" He saw his brother-in-law raise his hand. He sighed, "Yes, Coda?"
"What our rank will be?"
"What?"
"Yeah, I mean… Bael holds the rank of Great King. Vassago is the Great Prince. Furfur the Great Earl," Malacoda counted them, "which rank are we gonna use?"
A good question—Matanbuchus noted. It even captured the interest of Zaorama and the other Pure Devils.
And luckily, Matanbuchus had the perfect answer.
"… After my son's well-earned title—The Emperor," Matanbuchus leaned back on his seat, "Clan Belial will be the seventh Great House in Ars Goetia, holding the rank of Great Emperor!"
His response was followed by silence and nods of approval.
"Great Emperor Belial… Not bad. Powerful and rolls off the tongue quite nicely and everyone digs it! Sign me in!" Malacoda offered a fist to his brother-in-law, "Glory to the Empire?"
Matanbuchus fist-bumped him in return, "Glory to the Empire."
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Guest reviews:
Guest: Love you too.
Guest: It's the Archer one. You're right, the best casters that I'm aware of are Merlin, Tamamo, Skadi, Hans, and Liang. All supports I think. I heard that there's another Caster coming right up, which will be broken apparently. In the end, I decided to go with Anastasia since she works perfectly with my Bride Nero.
Guest: Here's the update, sorry for the delay!
Guest: Really? I have the Arjuna Archer version though, not the Berserker one. Is he still worth it?
Byayan: I'm glad it was worthwhile!
Guest: Crap. You're right. Thanks for telling me, I'll fix it ASAP.
JW: Then I guess made the right choice then. Thanks for the advice!
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And what a better way to end the fic with none other than politics that no one cares about!
Most of you were expecting a coup to happen led by Clan Belial, but that's not what I had in mind. But rather, turn Clan Belial from Lesser House to a Great House. If there's a genre of videogames that I love so much, is the one that is about management like Jurassic Park, City Skylines, RimWorld, and the such. The colony-building genre is a fetish of mine. Hell, even games turn base strategy.
Overall, If Matanbuchus manages to carry his family on his back, his Clan won't be a Lesser King anymore, but a Great Emperor. Ruler of the Empire of Belial.
Aside from that, this could be seen as a filler chapter. The next chapter will be a Rating Game against you-know-who.
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Next Life: Balance Break X True Form: What Lies at the End of Power.
