Even before he opened his eyes, Dante knew he was dreaming for he had been tortured by this nightmare for over a decade.
A howling wind that did tried its best to drown out the sound of a burning village, the freezing cold that did little to combat the heat from the flames that engulfed his father and brother, and feel of his sister desperately trying to pull him away to ensure that his mother's sacrifice meant the survival of her two remaining children.
And finally, his sister's last stand at the edge of a eerily silent forest. Knowing that they stood little chance of successfully fighting off their opponents, and wishing to ensure that at least one member of their family would survive their people's extinction, Adrienne quickly used her abilities to fling him far into the forest before she turned to face her encroaching opponents.
And the last image he always saw before he woke up, was the sight of his sister failing to notice one of her attackers sneaking up behind her with his sword about to come down on her neck.
When he first began having these nightmares, he clung to the small glimmer of hope that Adirenne had somehow managed to survive her deadly encounter, since he had been forced to flee for his life before he got to witness his sister's final moments. However, he had eventually come to accept that he was the only survivor of that cold winter's night, which upon the passing of his grandfather, left him as the sole heir to his people's ways.
Having no particular wish to review his past at what he assumed to be the early hours of the morning, and wishing to get as much sleep as possible before he had to start another annoying day at the academy, Dante rolled over onto his side to try and reclaim his previous unconscious state. However sleep eluded him as he noticed something rather odd about his temporary living quarters.
For one, his mattress was far more comfortable than he remembered it, not to mention far larger longer than he was used to. Secondly the room, while cloaked in darkness, was lacking that comforting feeling of security that he always ensured was their to allow him to sleep without worrying about meeting the same fate as his great grandfather. And perhaps the most disconcerting of all, he was not the sole occupant of his strangely comfortable bed.
Slowly turning his head to discover just who it was he was sharing this rather bizarre moment with, Dante was shocked to see the rather peaceful looking form of the future head of the Gremory clan.
Despite the initial shock he felt at waking up next to an admittedly attractive woman, the shadow controlling Austrian struggled to remember the series of events that led to this rather surprising phenomena.
"Why the hell did I wake up here? By all accounts I should dead with the amount of blood I was loosing. Unless I'm experiencing one of those dreams within a dreams. But that's highly unlikely. Lets see, the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was that pervert's dead body and the red...flash"
His eye's widening at the implications of his last conscious memory, and uncaring of the fact that he would be placing himself on the Underworld's most wanted list for what he was about to do, Dante willed the shadows to bow to his command as he intended to sever his newly placed bonds by the only way he knew how.
By killing the one responsible for his current predicament.
However before he could transform the swirling shadows into something more lethal, the newly born Devil felt a painfully familiar sensation pass through his body, causing him to not only put a halt to his murderous intentions, but also forcing his unwanted sleeping companion into a state of consciousness.
"You know, most people would have a different reaction to waking up next to a beautiful woman. But then again, considering the nature of your injuries, I believe that your not like most people. Are you"?
Shooting her new servant a look that clearly expressed her amusement with his predicament, though whether it was because she was channelling her queen's sadism or the fact that she found his scowling expression to be more comical than intimating she couldn't tell, Rias didn't bother to wait for an answer to her question as she decided to mix business with pleasure.
"I must admit, I hadn't expected to receive such a violent wake up call this early in the morning. But since your probably still adjusting to your new situation, I suppose I can forgive you this once. Provided of course you don't make this a regular habit. A girl needs her beauty sleep after all".
With the pain dissipating to a more manageable level, serving as a reminder that he was in no position to stand against a Devil of Rias's power if she decided to punish him for his attempted murde, Dante picked himself off the floor before shooting the amused looking heiress a particularly sardonic look.
"Considering the fact that I have only just lost my humanity, you'll have to forgive me if my manners are lacking. Though if you think I'm happy about my new found servitude, then I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed if I don't express my gratitude for remaining in the land of the living".
Frowning at the less then apologetic tone of her new servant, though willing to overlook it since she knew that most reincarnated Devils had different ways of coping with their transformation, Kiba being an excellent example of this, Rias resigned herself to the fact that she would be starting her day earlier than planned.
Rising from her bed, and removing the blanket that had been covering her body, the crimson haired Devil was somewhat surprised by Dante's reaction.
"I know that Devil's are generally a shameless lot when it comes to matters of personal decency, but care to tell me why you decided to sleep naked in the same bed as me"?
Deciding to mess with the surprisingly stoic boy, though she had to admit it was rather nice to talk with a boy who possessed enough self control to keep his eyes from wandering, Rias caused her uncovered breasts to jiggle as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I find that its more comfortable to sleep without any clothes on than it is while wearing them. And since you weren't dead when I found you, and the fact that I had no desire to wait for you to succumb to your wounds, I decided to take a more active role in your recovery, which as you may have guessed required skin on skin contact to ensure that you would survive your encounter with the Fallen Angels. I also point out that most men would be delighted to wake up next to a beautiful woman, especially one with my features".
Crossing her arms underneath her chest to further emphasize what she was talking about, Rias was somewhat surprised that the only reaction she managed to gain from the still glaring male was a slight raising of his eye, as if he wasn't impressed with her boasting.
"As you have already stated Miss Gremory, I am not like most men".
Reminding herself that her newest servant had been able to successfully fool both Sona and herself into believing that he was hypnotized, Rias had to admit that he had a point. For as far as she knew, very few humans, even those associated with the forces of Heaven, possessed the ability to withstand the power of a Devil, let alone a pureblooded Devil such as herself.
Sensing an opportunity to discover what else her newest servant servant was capable of, and disbelieving that he was totally immune to the charms of the female form, Rias decided to test just how much self control Dante possessed. Turning her attention away from the watchful boy in favor of collecting her clothes, fully aware of how her breasts swayed as she bent over to pick up her discarded clothing, Rias decided to test just how far she could push before he broke.
"I have to agree with that statement since I highly doubt that most men, let alone most humans, would have been able to convince 2 pureblooded Devils that their hypnotic spell had worked, let alone fighting it off as well as you obviously. Which makes me curious as to how you were able to accomplish that".
Knowing full well what the buxom Devil was trying to do, and having no real desire to be cooperative with the woman who had effectively enslaved him, Dante responded to her inquiry with the same tone he had used whenever he was forced to talk with the perverted trio.
"I'm afraid that is not something that I am not at liberty to say. Even if you are my master, I am still entitled to some secrets. Don't you agree"?
Though her eye visibly twitched as she put on her underwear, Rias had to admit that she wasn't overly surprised by Dante's blatant showing of disrespect. He was even worse than Kiba after she had rescued him from freezing to death, and somehow she doubted that her newest servant's attitude would be changed by learning from a more experienced devil. Still, that didn't mean that she had to lower herself to his level, since it was in her experience that even the most distrustful of people can eventually be won over if they see the benefits of their new life.
Thus it was with a small amount of effort that she suppressed her earlier annoyance and smiled good naturedly as she put on her lacy panties.
"You know, your rather lucky that I'm rather easy going. If Sona had been the one to turn you, I'm quite sure that you would be punished for your unwarranted sarcasm. But since your now a honory member of the house of Gremory, you should now th..".
"That they treat their servants like their members of the family. I'm well aware of that detail. And it is perhaps the only reason why I'm still talking to you right now instead of enjoying the life of a newly minted stray".
Slightly annoyed by the interruption, but curious of how he already knew about her clan's rather unusual habit of establishing close personal relationships with their servants, Rias merely shot the black haired devil a brief glare before allowing a small, but nevertheless noticeable smirk to spread across her face.
"Really? Considering the fact that your body still retains some traces of light magic, not to mention the fact that you're powers will be weakened by the sun for the next few days, I don't think you'd get very far before someone less understanding then myself decides to hunt you down. You might as well spend the next couple day's enjoying the life of a servant of the House of Gremory before you go wandering off on your own. Though I do hope that you'll consider sticking around. Since you're clearly familiar with the world of the supernatural, you must be aware of how beneficial it is to be a member of one of the three factions".
Doing her best not to laugh at the scowl that appeared on Dante's face after he realized that she had a point about his condition, Rias was shocked by the rather cynical answer she received from the glaring Devil.
"Considering I have survived all this time without receiving ANY aid from the factions, I wouldn't know if being a member is worth it or not. Especially considering the fact that before hand, I could simply kill my non human opponents without worrying about causing a diplomatic incident. But since I'm a chained dog now, with a guaranteed kill on sight order if I leave your service, I suppose I can live with my current circumstances".
Pleased though she was at Dante's reasoning skills, though greatly annoyed by his continued lack of deference to her position, the crimson haired Devil decided to keep things friendly while she thought of a suitable punishment for her new servant.
"If that's the case, then care too explain why you felt it was necessary to try and attack a poor sleeping defenseless girl? That doesn't really sound like someone who is content with their new position".
Shooting the buxom Devil a look that could only be described as withering, though it had no effect on the amused looking red head, Dante did his best to keep his tone level as he formed a reply to his new master's comment.
"Somehow I rather doubt that you would have knowingly fallen asleep next to a complete stranger unless you were sure that you retained the upper hand. And I admit my initial reaction was influenced by the knowledge that I was no longer in control of my life. And while I apologize for my actions, though its only because you've made it clear that I would have died without your intervention, I am not happy about my new lack of freedom, and will probably be a while before I get used to the idea of having another 'master'.
Largely unsurprised by his explanation, though somewhat caught off guard by his apology and the fact that she wasn't the first person he considered to be his overseer, Rias decided to react to Dante's explanation with the same teasing tone that her loyal queen used whenever she decided to mess with the more...rambunctious members of their school.
"I'm sure that in time you will come to accept your new found circumstances. Besides its not all that bad. Your popularity at school is sure to increase once our classmates discover that your now a member of my club. And while the boys wont be too happy about your new social status, all the girls will be vying for your attention since you'll be in constant contact with some of the cutuest girls at the academy. Speaking of which, can you do me a favor? I'm having some difficulty with my clasps here. Do you mind doing them up for me"?
Smiling innocently at the incredulous expression that passed over the new Devil's face, Rias frowned in confusion when instead of offering a snarky reply to her request, or acting like his new perverted teammate if he was asked to do the same thing, Dante merely raised his right forefinger, and to her great surprise, felt and heard her bra snap itself in to place.
Moving to the mirror to check to confirm that her moody servant had indeed done what she had teasingly asked of him, Rias was able to see in the mirror that not only was her bra clasped together, but the slight twitch of pain that flashed across Dante's face as he cradled the hand that had done this rather minor spell
Putting her hands on her hips as she stared at him reproachfully, Rias couldn't help but allow just the tiniest bit of amusement enter her voice as she lightly chastised her new servant.
"You know, it would have been less painful for you if you just use your hands. I promise I wont bite as long as your hands don't wander".
As expected Dante just flashed her look of irritation, though whether it was because of her teasing or the fact that she had witnessed his momentary weakness, Rias couldn't tell.
"You didn't tell me how I was to help you. Only that I had to. And since we're on the topic of clothing, I don't suppose you could tell me where mine are"?
Pointing towards the cabinet, Rias took a brief moment to glance over the body of her newest servant, not bothering to fight the satisfied grin that was spreading across her face as she once again congratulated herself for seizing the opportunity to add him to her peerage.
While he wasn't anywhere near as muscular as her battle maniac of a cousin Sairaorg, Dante nevertheless possessed an athletic body, with small but clearly visible muscles indicating a perfect mix of both speed and power. However as she admired his figure, she noticed that despite having successfully removed all outward traces of the Fallen Angel's attack, Dante's lower back was covered in a series of scars that no boy his age should have.
Feeling the weight of his new master's gaze, and knowing full well what had caught her attention, Dante merely threw on his cleaned shirt before shooting the concerned looking Devil a look that while still dismissive, nevertheless lacked the venom that had previously present in his narrowed eyes.
"Whats a matter Gremory? I thought most teenage girls like a man with a couple of scars. Or is that just some stupid stero type? But since I seem to have your full attention now, perhaps you can answer some questions of my own"?
Knowing that she was unlikely to discover the cause for those rather vicious looking marks while Dante was still in the process of accepting his new circumstances, Rias decided to humor the now fully dressed boy if only to prove that she meant him no harm.
"I don't see why not. After all, it's my responsibility to ensure that all of my cute servants are fully aware of their new circumstances. Though I'm guessing that since your already seen to have a basic awareness of supernatural world, I only need to tell you the things that are relevant to your new position"?
Nodding his head to show that he agreed with her statement, Dante sat himself back down on the bed as he posed his questions to the slow dressing Devil.
"That is correct. We've already established that I am aware of 3 factions, and what would happen if I was to upset the fragile truce between them. So I think a good place to start would be to find out out which piece you used to transform me into a devil, since I assume the only reason why I don't feel any diffeirent is because I'm still a newborn"?
Smiling as she buttoned her shirt, Rias confirmed her servant's observation with a simple nod of her head.
"That's right. As I'm sure your aware, new Devil's are no stronger than humans during the first couple of days following their transformation. And since your...unique abilities appear to work better in the absence of light, I suggest you keep a tight rein on your more violent impulses lest you want to hurt yourself more than you've already done".
Flashing the buxom Devil a look that clearly expressed his annoyance at being reminder of his current weakness, Dante nevertheless managed to keep his temper under control as he once again gave voice to his curiosity.
"You still haven't said which evil piece you used to revive me. Since I somehow doubt you would want to increase my abilities with a bishop piece, and the fact that Ms. Himejima already holds the position of queen, I take it that I'm either a rook, a knight, or a pawn".
Surprised yet again by his reasoning skills, though truth be told she was rather pleased to have a servant who was quick on the uptake, Rias smiled at the questioning Devil before she saw fit to provide him with an answer.
"While your continued mistrust of me is unwarranted, your are essentially correct with your assumption, though not for the reasons you suppose . Akeno enjoys the position of Queen in my peerage, and apart from yourself and my other latest servant, my other servants include a bishop, a rook and a knight. And thanks to last night's events, I have now added another rook, as well as a pawn into my ranks. Care to guess which piece I used on you"?
Glaring at the teasing tone of his crimson haired master, and doing his best not to let his emotions get the best of him as he thought about the one directly responsible for his newfound servitude, Dante nevertheless voiced his curiosity to the amused looking red head.
"If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that you decided to keep me in check by using a piece that only provides a boost in physical capabilities rather than the piece that grants the individual to temporarily gain the abilities of its more specialized brethren"?.
Doing his best not to smirk at the small scowl that appeared on Rias's face as she was forced to nod her head in agreement despite his still snarky attitude, Dante took a moment to considering this piece of information and whether it would benefit him or not.
'A rook? Well, its not the worst position I can think of. The boosted strength and durability is definitely a welcome addition to my skill set, though it means that I won't be able to increase my agility without some intensive training. Still, it beats the skill set of a pawn in my opinion, since as grandfather used to say "dabbler in all, master in none". And once I manage to get used to my new abilities, and combine them with what I can already do, well the results will be interesting to say the least'.
Focusing his attention back onto his now grinning master, Dante was somewhat annoyed with himself since Rias soon made it clear that he hadn't been able to completely hide his appreciation for his new abilities.
"Judging by the look on your face, I take it that your pleased with my decision. I admit that it was a rather difficult choice, but I think I made the correct call in using a rook on you rather than a bishop. Who knows what sort of mischief you could have gotten into if you got a boost in magical ability. Which reminds me, I trust that their won't be a repeat of this morning's wake up call? While I am willing to forgive you just this once because your still adjusting, you will find that I am less accepting of this behavior should you treat your new comrades in a similar fashion".
Despite the teasing grin that was currently being sported by the buxom Devil, Dante nevertheless recognized the warning for what it was. And while he was still angry about his circumstances, not to mention extremely pissed off with the one's responsible he felt where responsible for his newfound servitude, the black haired rook realized that he would have to find new, non lethal ways to express his displeasure lest he encourage the wrath of the Crimson Princess of Destruction.
"As long as my new...comrades show respect for my personal boundaries, then I'm sure there wont be any problems. Though considering the rather annoying nature of the newly transformed pervert, I cannot promise that I'll be able to resist the temptation of reminding him that I am not be crossed. Is that acceptable"?
Seeing Rias grudgingly nod her head in acceptance with his demand, and feeling happier as he contemplated all the creative ways in which he could make Hyoudou suffer, Dante adopted his public persona of a charming and helpful exchange student fall back into place as he addressed his now fully clothed master.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, was their anything else you wished to inform me about? Or can I leave the...where exactly are we anyway"?
Pleased to see that her brooding servant had acknowledged her warning, even though she knew that he would likely provoke Issei into doing something that would give him grounds to punish him without consequences, something which she knew would go over quite well with her sadistic queen and to a lesser extent her other moody rook, Rias allowed a smile to spread across her face as she answered the questions of her servant.
"I think we covered enough information for the moment. Anything else can be discussed later once I've introduced you to your new teammates. I'll have one them collect you today after class, so you needn't worry about that. And to answer your other question, we are currently in the headquarters of the Occult Research Club. Which as you probably already know, serves as a useful cover for me and my peerage to conduct our non circular activities without any suspscion. Quite ingenious don't you think"?
At this he could only snort.
"A tad obvious don't you think? But I suppose its sufficient for those who lack any useful knowledge about the supernatural world. Still, all in all I think your friend on the student council has a better cover than you do".
Scowling once again at the dismissive attitude of her new servant, Rias gave herself a moment to control her temper before flashing the shadow controlling Devil a smirk that was far from friendly.
"You should count yourself fortunate that I was the one to find you last night rather than Sona. She's still rather annoyed with you said during our last little meeting, and I wouldn't be surprised if she buried you under a mountain of paperwork just to get back at you. Of course her punishment would pale in comparison to whatever Serafall would do to you if she discovered you were mean to her younger sister, and I sincerely doubt anyone would want to stand behind an enraged siscon and the one who upset her beloved Sona".
Paling at the thought of what horrors he would have had to put up with if he had been reincarnated by a member of the Sitri clan, and unwillingly recognizing that he owed Rias a debt of gratitude for helping him to avoid that terrifying fate, Dante reluctantly bowed his head in respect to the grinning heiress.
"I suppose for that, if nothing you else, you have my gratitude. Accustomed as I am to the darker nature of the supernatural world, I highly doubt I would be able to withstand the...unique brand of punishment from that particular Devil King".
Pleased to see that she had finally managed to get her newest servant to act more respectfully, if somewhat grudgingly, Rias flashed an indulgent smile at the black haired Devil.
"Think nothing of it my cute servant. Now as much as I would like to continue this conversation, I'm afraid that it will have to wait until later today. I trust that you will be able to keep out of trouble until I send for you"?
Regarding his smiling master with a slight glare, Dante nevertheless nodded his head the spoken question.
"I shall try. Though I can't promise to act nicer to those perverted idiots, even if one of them is a fellow Devil. Speaking of which, I take it that I am to deny any and all knowledge about last evenings... excitement should Hyoudou's curiosity extend past the mysteries of the female form"?
Doing her best not to frown at Dante's tone as he talked about his more..honest comrade, the crimson haired heiress nodded her head to agree with her servant's inquiry.
"That is correct. Its the duty of every King to inform their servants about their new positions. And unlike you, Issei is completely unfamiliar with the supernatural world, so I would appreciate it if you kept this information to yourself until I deem fit".
Indicating with a slight jerk of his head to show that he understood, for the first time since he woke up to discover that he was now enslaved to a spoiled teenage princess, Dante allowed a visible smirk to spread across his face as he answered the serious looking red head.
"My lips are sealed. Though personally I think your wasting time trying to act all mysterious and regal just so you can impress a boy whose eyes will probably never reach your face. But that is your concern not mine".
Pleased to discover that his comment had the desired effect of annoying his new master, Dante made his way to the door, but was prevented from leaving by the lightly teasing voice of the buxom heiress.
"You do realize that the only reason I'm letting you get away with your current insolence is because your still adjusting to your new circumstances. Once enough time has gone by, and perhaps even before that, I'll be forced to punish you for your disrespect. It wouldn't do if word spread that the future leader of the Gremory clan had a rebellious servant".
Not bothering to turn around to face the surely smirking Devil, Dante simply scoffed at her promised threat.
"Considering the shit I've gone through in the past, you'll have to forgive me if I don't quake in fear at your not so subtle threat. Now if you excuse me, master, I would like to go home and shower before I'm forced to endure another day at this hormone filled center of learning".
And with that he was gone, leaving Rias alone with her thoughts as she stared to about her decision to turn the Austrian born boy into her servant.
'Hmm. I can tell that having Dante in my peerage will be a bit trying, however the potential benefits make it worth the effort. Having a servant that is not only aware of supernatural world, but also has some practice in wielding his sacred gear, is well worth any minor shows of defiance, though hopefully that will fade in time as he becomes more adjusted to his situation. Still don't know what Sacred Gear he has, but if he's able to summon it at will when his body is poisoned, its clearly a powerful one. Though he could stand to smile more, but I suppose by now I should be used to having a rook who isn't as outwardly cheerful as my other servants. Shame though, he's quite easy on the eyes, and Akeno will probably get a kick out of teasing such a self contained boy. All told, I think I made the correct decision in adding him to my peerage, even if he is a tad antagonistic'.
And with that final thought, Rias Gremory congradulated herself on having successfully, more or less, introduced the first of her new servants to their new lifestyle. Unaware of the fact that as Dante walked out into the early morning sun, 2 pairs of eyes were watching him leave.
One pair with curiosity.
The other with thinly disguised lust.
...
And I think I'll end it here for now.
Apologies for the slow rate of updates...life, and my other works have take up a lot of my time. Their will be no new chapters until I have rewritten ALL of this story...though some chapters will be finished a lot more quicker than this one, so hopefully the next rewrite wont take as long.
Anyways...hopefully you liked this chapter..and til next time :)