Author's Notes: Sheesh, this took a long time finish. I'm sorry for those of you that's been waiting for this chapter. A lot of personal stuff happened in my life and for a while I could hardly work on finishing this chapter. I know it's not much to make up for it but, I added in some extra content in that chapter that would have been in the next chapter. Anyway, now on to the reviews.
Castor115: Thanks and will do.
Izayoi Albion Raizel: Sure.
Stratos263: Uhuh.
Cobalt Striker Gundam: Well, I don't plan on having that happen right off the bat. Their interaction will be more unique in a sense. As for the recovery of Vince's arm, it all depends.
ZeroSaga: Thanks, I will try to finish a chapter as soon as possible but as of right now, I'm very busy.
Keybladewielder97: Glad you like it. Still that idea really did help, thanks. Well, the situation with the maid will be a bit different, for me at least. I won't say much but I'll say this, not everything is as it seems. There will be more stuff brought up a little later down the road. Yes, that is possible. Azazel did mention, in the previous chapter that Vince will get the perks of an angel and a devil, so it's not that far of a stretch.
Incursio456: Sure, I did post the harem at Author's Note at the end of the chapter I forgot which though so I'll show it at the end of the chapter, right after the Author's Notes.
N7 Recruit: Okay.
Ashzaroth: Yup. That's pretty much it. He would definitely have to get used to it.
shadowslayer2015: I suppose you have point there.
The Storm Master 567: Pretty much. Glad you liked the scene and sure, I'll put the list at the bottom of the chapter.
Zero Kazama: True, it was a bad move on Vince's part however, he is not perfect and will make questionable choices and mistakes, however did get something good in exchange for doing that stunt.
Guest: At the moment, Vince is not an ORC member.
San: I actually do have something like that in mind. It's slightly different from your suggestion though.
NERO TOVACK: Well, I can see your point there. But I won't be going overboard with the maid. That's all I'll say for now.
EndgamePro: Thanks, and thanks again for the suggestion.
Bltzenf'n: I don't see a reason why the maid would do that, not to mention Vince would try to stop something like that from happening.
Guest 2: I understand about the update, I'll try to see what I can do about the other one.
Soren Alba: Not really. I don't see it escalating that far.
SesameChikn: I'm glad you do and actually we're more or less thinking along the same lines.
Squadpunk 2.0: I actually found it funny writing that scene myself.
Konosekai i wa: Sure thing.
Guest 3: I've been very busy and a lot of personal things has taken up a lot of my time.
Guest 4: Thanks and it's good to know. I do plan on having more moments of them in person, but for now it'll be like this. At least up until a certain arc.
Guest 5: As soon as possible.
Meaningless Us3rname: Probably. The problem is that I haven't found a good way to them introduce back yet.
Oblivioon pigiou: At the moment, I don't have plans on adding any girls to his harem.
That's it for the reviews. Wow, that's a lot of reviews and I'm honestly surprised pretty much everyone agreed on the idea of a maid. That one surprised me quite a bit, but moving on to the chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or any other references or elements I may put in the story. They all belong to their respective owners I only own my OCs.
xXxXxXxXxX
"W-Well, I have a few things to show Vince, we'll see you at dinner." Rias said as she grabbed Vince's arm and lightly pushed him along after seeing her mother's smile.
After walking a noticeable distance, Rias breathed a sigh of relief and pinched his cheek. "Why did you say something like that to my mother?"
Vince lightly swatted her hand away and raised an eyebrow. "What? That was the exact same outfit she wore when I saw her at my house before summer vacation happened. Besides, I was looking at the architecture."
"Even still saying that to mother is an insult to her-" Rias paused for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. "You were looking at the architecture and not the maids?"
"Well yeah, though those maids are a bit of good eye candy." He admitted with a small smirk.
A tickmark appeared on Rias she crossed her arms. "You're doing that to mess with me again, aren't you?"
"That's half the reason-" Vince lightly shrugged as he looked up at the sky. "And they are physically attractive."
"So... Do you prefer maids?" She questioned.
"I don't have that type of preference if that's what you're implying." He replied simply.
"Oh. Well, do you think I'm good eye candy?" Rias asked in a curious tone.
"I would say so given that you do have a large portion of the male students back at Kuoh thinking about you." Vince answered.
"Geez... That's not what I meant Vince and you know it. Answer the question." She replied pouting a little.
He turned to the left, turning his attention towards a door inside of the castle. "Oh, look over there a distraction."
Vince promptly started walking with Rias following, after seeing where he was going she quickly fastened her pace to catch up to him. "Wait Vince, you're not supposed to go there!"
xXxXxXxXxX
Looking around Vince uncomfortably sat in an expensive chair in the dining room. (It's kind of surprising several hours went by that quickly.)
Taking a glance at the extravagant meal, he turned his attention towards the window with a bored look. Briefly turning towards his left Vince saw Rias taking her seat followed by Rias' father, her mother and Millicas. (This is awkward. I haven't felt this out of place since those times I attended my grandparent's Christmas party. Looking at that fake moon in the sky isn't helping either. It may work for other reincarnated Devils that's trying to get used to this place, but it's definitely not working for me. At the very least the flow of time between the Underworld and the Human world is the same.)
"Please enjoy yourselves without holding back." Rias' father spoke as dinner began.
Vince started eating taking a fork and pinching the food with it. He then glanced at the others. While Issei started eating somewhat clusmily, Akari and Kasumi started eating gracefully as did Kiba, Akeno and Rena. A small frown appeared on his face as he noticed Koneko hadn't started eating but what instead take glances at Rena with an emotionless expression. (I'll have to ask Koneko about this later if I get the chance.)
"Is there a problem with the food?" Rias' father asked, turning his attention towards Vince.
All eyes immediately went towards him as he shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It's good. I'll already finished though."
He pointed towards his large plate that was already wiped clean. Everyone's eyes widened at how fast he ate the food. Vince took a napkin and cleaned his mouth with it, however looking further one could see a small spark of electricity around his right arm. (That was a lot of food they put on my plate. Using my lightning magic to speed up myself eating was a good idea. I'm not exactly comfortable eating with a large group of people.)
Rias' father then cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention. "Friends and members of Rias' group, please think of this place as your home. Having just come to the Underworld, you're in an environment you don't understand. If there's something you want, please say so to the housemaids without reserve. They'll prepare it right away."
(That's rather kind of him. I wonder if there's a catch to this...?) Vince wondered with a slightly surprised expression.
"By the way, Reinhart Vince-kun." He spoke.
Vince turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"Has your mother been well?" Rias' father asked curiously.
"To my knowledge, she's been the same. Which reminds me, is there a good place around here to buy a souvenir? I've been meaning to get her one here." Vince questioned.
"Hmm. A souvenir, huh. I see..." Rias' father rang a bell besides him and a butler immediately approached him.
"What is your order, master?"
"Yes. Prepare a castle for Reinhart Vince-kun's mother, Reinhart Elena-san." Rias' father ordered.
Issei's jaw nearly dropped while Vince's eyes widened greatly. "Uh... What...?"
"Yes. Shall it be Western-style? Or Japanese-style?" The butler questioned, normally.
"What a worrisome choice." Rias' father commented.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Vince rubbed his temples with his index and middle finger, trying to regain his composure. "A castle would be too big for just my mom and I'm positive it'll raise a few questions."
"Dear, I agree with Vince, since the land in America is too small and I know Elena would refuse to live in such a large place." Venelana stated.
"What? Certainly, America is small. Hmm, if a castle is no good, I wonder what else would be a good present…" Rias' father pondered.
(Wait. America's land is too small for the castle? ...Just how big of a castle was this guy going to make?) Vince thought to himself, looking a bit confused.
"Father, worrying about it that much will just trouble them. Vince's mother doesn't possess strong worldly desires anyway." Rias answered as Vince gave her a small nod of thanks.
"Reinhart Vince-kun." Rias' father called out.
"Yes...?"
"You may call me "father-in-law" from today on." He said.
Vince resisted the urge to bang his head on the table out of pure instinct and instead shook his head in disbelief. (Is this is a messed up joke or an Underworld custom?)
"Dear, you're being too fast. There's such a thing as order first." Venelana commented, scolding her husband.
"Y-Yeah. However, it's even crimson and red. Doesn't it make you happy?" Rias' father asked his wife.
"Dear, I said that it's still too early to celebrate." Venelana said sternly.
"That's true. It seems I just tend to be too hasty." He replied, letting out a deep breath.
"Rias and I aren't even at that stage and while I do appreciate your hospitality. I'm not calling you "father-in-law." You're practically a stranger to me." Vince answered bluntly.
Everyone's eyes widened greatly at how forward he was while Lord Gremory winced a little but chuckled. "I understand. You certainly due carry your mother's trait of being blunt. But you certainly will push forward with your relationship with Rias, correct?"
"I'm not going to answer that personal question." He said dryly.
Venelana however gained an amused smile from seeing the two talk. "Vince, to answer your question from earlier. There is a nice souvenir shop in the capital of the Underworld, Luciferd. I am certain you'll find something your mother will like."
"Lucinerd?" He asked looking slightly confused.
"Not Lucinerd, Luciferd. Will you be staying here for a while?" Venelana asked curiously.
"Probably for a bit. I do have some business I need to do in the Underworld. But it probably won't take up much time though." Vince answered with a small nod.
"I see. That's perfect. Since I have to have you acquire gentlemanly behavior as well. You'll study manners a little while here." She said with a small nod.
"H-Huh...?" He asked looking completely dumbfounded.
Rias slammed the table as she stood up from her seat. "Father! Mother! I've been listening quietly until now, but what kind of thing are you trying to advance while leaving me out of it!?"
Venelana narrowed her eyes at her daughter, her demeanor already turned serious. "Be silent, Rias. You already canceled your engagement with Raiser, remember? The fact that we just permitted it should be thought of as special treatment. How much effort do you think your father and Sirzechs had to put in in order to take care of things with the other high-class devils? Do you know that he told one noble that "my selfish daughter canceled her engagement with the help of an unknown prodigy that's also her childhood friend"? You may be the younger sister of the Maou, but there is still a limit."
"..." Vince stood there silent with his arms crossed, despite wanting to say something he resisted the urge to and instead watched the two like a hawk.
Rias glared at her mother, her face completely clouded in anger she tried to speak however Venelana spoke first. "You mean Sirzechs is unrelated to what you do? Officially, that is true. However, everyone sees you as the Maou's younger sister. Right now, when the three great powers have formed an alliance, your position is known even by the lower classes of the other powers. You can't behave selfishly as you have in the past. And, above all else, everyone will pay attention to you from now on. Rias, you have been placed into that kind of position, you know? There will be no second instance of that kind of selfishness. Do not carry any spoiled thoughts. Understood?"
Rias looked mortified by those words and remained silent. Turning her attention to Vince, she saw him shaking his head and after a few moments, forcefully sat down in her seat.
Venelana let out a single breath and turned to the others with a smile. "I've shown something ugly to Rias' group members, haven't I? Getting back to the topic, you will go through special training during your stay here, Vince. Since, you have to experience the upper society and nobility even if only a little."
Vince however frowned. "Yes, but you're forgetting one important thing Venelana."
"Which is...?"
"I never agreed to take lessons in upper society nobility, nor do I want to." He answered.
"Now Vince, this is a necessity. You- are the last bit of selfishness of my daughter, the next family head. As parents we bear the responsibility right until the end." Venelana replied calmly.
Vince glanced at Rias, her gaze met with his and she turned away with a noticeable blush. He frowned a little and turned to her mother. "Okay and? Giving my origins and my Sacred Gear's abilities, I'm still not qualified to become a family head under your customs and even if there was an exception- I'm not going to consent to something that would be a waste of my time."
"A waste of time...?" Venelana eyes narrowed as she looked at him sternly. "Learning about upper society and nobility is not a waste of time. What if you went to a meeting or a party with the other nobles? You would embarrass Rias with your lack of knowledge."
"Assuming, I'm going to go in the first place. I have no obligations to attend a place filled with nobles when a majority of them do nothing more stroke their own ego's and twiddle on their own thumbs." He replied with a small shrug.
Venelana sighed a bit as everyone else in the room remained silent, surprised at Vince's bold opinion. She then frowned a little. "While I won't go into that subject, you should at least learn how to act with nobility, should their be a situation where you have to attend an event, as learning it is certainly not a waste of time."
"Regardless, I have no interest in learning about something I could care less about. You may be my mom's best friend and Rias' mother, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go along with everything you say. I have enough to deal with and I don't need extra baggage." Vince got up from his seat and left the room.
The room immediately filled with an awkward atmosphere as everyone remained silent, processing on what happened.
xXxXxXxXxX
[Vince, do you know where your going?] Yume asked curiously as she watched him trek through the Underworld.
"More or less. I'm going to the Valefor manor. Now that I think about it, Venelana made it convenient for me when she brought up that conversation. It gave me a reason for me to leave the manor. I didn't expect to leave this early though." Vince said as walked over a hill.
[But you weren't pretending to be upset, weren't you?] She said, saying it more in a statement rather than a question.
"No. I'm was genuinely pissed, still am. She has a lot of nerve trying to get me to take up that study session, not to mention that family head bull. I know she means well in a sense, but it irks me that I don't get a say in this." He took a deep breath to calm down and looked at the sky.
[Vince...]
"Moving on... Where is that manor? The directions Azazel gave me said it should be just after that hill I went over-" He paused for a moment as his eyes widened greatly. "What the hell...?"
Just down the hill appeared to be a mob of Devils surrounding from what appears to be a barrier in addition to a person wielding a spear. Vince frowned as he carefully went down on the hill, to avoid being seen by either the mob or the person wielding a spear. He crouched down and hid behind a bush, watching everything very carefully.
The person wielding a spear turned out to be a young adult blonde woman, with a slender figure, a sizeable bust, and dark blue eyes. She wore a green and peach-colored dress, with the top being a dark green that has gold lining on it, and being sleeveless, as well as revealing a considerable portion of her cleavage, covered through what appears to be a veil of sorts. Having a red colored ribbon on her neck, and has detached upper-arm portions of her dress's sleeves and has frilled gloves on her hands.
Looking from afar Vince frowned as he still hid in his hiding spot. (It's too soon to jump in and act. I want to see where this thing goes.)
The young woman gripped her spear tightly and frowned. "The place beyond this barrier is off limits. Leave at once."
One of the Devils of the mob took a step forward. "We know that behind that barrier is the lost manor of the Valefor clan."
"And if that is true, what will you do if you head beyond this barrier?" The young woman questioned raising an eyebrow.
"We want know all about how the Valefor clan used to have a bunch of treasure. It would be a waste to let it all go to waste, wouldn't it?" Another member of the mob asked, stepping forward.
"We don't know how you're doing it, but take down that barrier and let us in!" A devil exclaimed.
"I see... Well in that case-" The young woman skillfully twirled her spear and pointed it towards the members of the mob. "Then leave this place and never come back. I will not allow the manor to be desecrated by people like you."
"Grr... Fine, we'll just have to take the information from you by force." Another devil said as he prepared a magic circle.
"And I'm sure we'll be able to get it, among other things..." A man stated, looking at the young woman's body with a lewd expression.
"I don't know. I'm not to much into big boobs. Sooner or later, they're gonna sag." Another guy spoke up.
The young woman brought her head down as her bangs covered a majority of her expression. "Rrrh... I see. Well then, you certainly have a way with words!"
She brought her head up and glared at the man, dashing towards him at an astounding speed she appeared in front of him and before he could react the young woman jabbed her spear right into the side of his chest. She twirled her spear and knocked the man unconscious by slamming the side of her spear into his face.
The young woman made a dash towards the other two devils and smashed her spear into the first devil's head, disrupting the spell while twirling her spear and thrusting into the stomach of the other one that made that comment a moment ago. "All of you will fall here."
"A-After her! And call in reinforcements..." The man said, gripping his stomach in pain as he collapsed due to the amount of heavy amount of blood loss from the stab wound on his stomach as a portion of the mob started creating magic circles, while the other charged towards her wielding various weapons.
"Reinforcements...? That's not good. I'll have to defeat this group before more comes in to assist. I'd rather not go through the trouble and go all out..." The young woman muttered to herself as she elegantly evaded various icicle spears and lightning bolts from the magic circles.
Seeing a man ready to stab her from the side, she blocked the attempt with her spear with a thrust into the side of his rib cage before sending him into the ground with a blunt strike to his head, via her weapon.
More of the mob came in charging in right at her while the others that didn't instead focused on creating magic circles. Despite this, young woman smiled. "Perhaps I should go all out."
She dashed towards a devil and swiftly thrust her spear into his body four times with her spear and followed up with a wide swing slash that upon contact released an wind slash from her weapon that slashed a few of the unlucky devils that were with in range. "Never mind. I believe you peons haven't earned that right."
"You bitch!" A member of the mob screamed from behind, holding a dagger.
The young woman saw this and smiled, despite how close he was and flicked her fingers. "You should learn some manners."
A magic circle appeared right in between them, a large spear came out of it and stabbed him in the chest.
The member of the mob coughed up blood, before passing out due to the pain and the blood loss.
A few more members of the mob moved forward each holding weapons of their own and began making a sprint towards her while the remaining mob prepared a magic circle. The young woman prepared herself and readied her spear.
"This is taking too long for my tastes." A young boy suddenly appeared in between them, surprising everyone at how instant it was. Wearing the Kuoh's academy uniform, with his left arm wrapped in bandages he wielded a large pitch black sword in his right hand that radiated demonic energy.
"Hey kid, leave now and forget what you saw if you know what's good for you." A member of the mob spoke in a somewhat arrogant tone.
"Low-Class, Middle-Class, High-Class. Doesn't matter which class a Devil is, most of you arrogant bastards are pretty much cut from the same damn cloth." Vince replied bluntly.
"You're a gutsy little punk, but if you don't shut that big mouth of yours and get lost you're going to piss me off. Watch it, or you'll be on the wrong end of my blade." A man said as he walked up ahead of the group as he pointed a katana at him.
"Huh. You must be the leader, or rather one of them seeing as how the other one is incapacitated. Come on then, let's see you do something after all, you were hiding like a little bitch in that crowd a few minutes ago when that woman mowed down a good part of your mob." Vince mocked.
The man glared at him as he brought down his weapon to slash Vince. He smirked and swiftly dodged while slashing through his arm with the large demonic blade.
"Aaaaaugh!" The man held his stub of an arm in pain as the ground was stained by blood while his arm remained on the ground, still holding his katana.
Vince's smirk still remained as Arondight pulsed a bit from the blood on the blade. He brought up the blade up and swung it, letting blood on the blade splatter the floor. "Let's get to the point then. I'm on a tight schedule so hurry up and come at me all at once! I'll take all you bitches on!"
"Cocky little brat..." A member of the mob spoke as he unsheathed his sword.
"Get him!" Another exclaimed as he brought out a large hand axe.
The two wielding a sword and an axe respectively charged at him.
Vince moved to the side to avoid a slash from a sword, he brought Arondight up to block a thrust from another devil wielding the lance. Blocked an overhead strike from the devil wielding the sword and clashed sword with his, forcefully bringing the devil back.
"Gotcha." He stopped applying pressure for the devil to stumble a bit. Seeing the opportunity he quickly dropped his demonic sword and kicked him with enough force to make him drop his sword. Vince picked up the sword and without and hesitation and shoved his weapon deep into his chest.
The devil coughed up blood and fell to the floor, his chest bleeding profusely.
"Die!" The axe-wielding devil cried out as he swung his weapon at Vince, with the intention to decapitate his head.
"Screw you!" He ducked underneath the swing of the axe and quickly slashed the devil's face, making him scream in agony, which was cut short as Vince slashed both his torso and stomach in quick succession.
Just then half of the group of devils fired a plethora of magic bullets and fireballs from their magic circles.
(Crap, I forgot about them.) Vince thought, picking up the body of the devil he just slashed.
Much to the horror of the other devils that just casted the spell, He tossed the body of devil in between him and their attack. However, most of the attacks went through his body killing him, forcing Vince to pick up body of the other devil he slashed and used that as a shield, by tossing it in front of the attacks.
"Damn..." Seeing that the magic bullets and the thunderbolts were easily ripping though the devil's body Vince ducked, weaved and rolled out of the way, nearly getting hit by a few of them along the way.
Seeing the group of devils firing off another wave of magic bullets, Vince quickly got up and swung Arondight, a large demonic shockwave and collided with a few thunderbolts. "Go to hell!"
Not wanting to waste an opportunity the young woman created a few magic circles of her own, within a few moments several spears came out of her magic circles, stabbing the other devils which disrupted their attacks, letting Vince's attack breakthrough.
"That boy isn't the only one you're dealing with." The young woman spoke as Vince's attack overwhelmed the remaining devils, knocking them unconscious with notable injuries.
Vince scoffed and held Arondight over his shoulder. "That was hardly a fight."
"I thank you for the help-" Vince turned to the young woman who smiled as she continued, a look of concern appeared on her face when her eyes darted towards Arondight. "Will you be alright? That demon-sword's influence seems to be affecting you greatly."
"Hrm? Yeah I'll be fine." He replied, dismissing the demon-sword with a small burst of demonic energy from the blade itself.
Vince breathed a sigh of relief as he regained his composure. (I'm still not used to having Arondight basically shoving repressed parts of my personality out in the open like that. Still it's better than turning into a mind less berserker.)
"They're over there! After them!" A voice spoke gaining their attention.
Turning around they saw an even larger mob than the previous one. Vince frowned as he was about to extend his hand to summon Arondight but was stopped. His gaze turned to the young woman who shook her head. "Fighting them with only the two of us will become dangerous, follow me."
After pausing for a few moments and examining the situation, Vince nodded albeit hesitantly. "Alright. I'll hold them off for a little bit while you get ready with an escape route."
The young woman raised an eyebrow but nodded as Vince extended his hand. He shook his hand for a few moments and frowned when nothing came out. (This isn't good, I need it's spiritual properties to hold off the other devils. I can't really control it, but I need to try harder.)
The larger group of devils charged in with weapons while a few others stayed back and started to prepare magic circles. Saw this blonde woman frowned a little. "They're closing in on us."
Closing his eyes, he blocked out all of the noises as best he could. Remaining both silent and unresponsive for a few moments, focusing intensely. (C'mon, focus...)
Seeing them closing in on Vince, she swiftly smashed the other devil away while parrying the other Devil's weapon. "If you have a solution now would be the time to use it!"
Suddenly, the temperature suddenly increased as a fire ignited in Vince's hands. The fire took the form of broadsword. The other devils sensed the spiritual property of the fire and unintentionally took a step back while Claudia raised an eyebrow, as she took advantage of the devil's distraction and thrust her spear into his stomach as she sent away with a well timed strike to his chest with her spear right afterwards.
"A fire with a spiritual property? Just who is he...?" The young woman muttered to herself, curiously.
Vince did a practice swing of his fire sword, before running in front of the blond woman. He stopped after being a few feet in front of her. "You might want to stay back for a bit."
The young woman nodded and jumped back as Vince twirled his fire sword and plunged it into the ground. "Power!"
The fire that took shape in the form of the sword suddenly formed into a firewall and covered the entire field. The other devils that charged in forward went back a certain distance to avoid getting burned while the other devils that were preparing a magic circle launched a barrage of magic bullets. The firewall however burned the magic bullets upon contact.
Vince frowned and turned towards her. "Let's get going. That firewall won't last long."
The blonde woman nodded as she turned towards the magic barrier in front of them. A magic circle appeared in front of her. After a few moments of working of her working on the magic circle, the magic barrier disappeared. They both headed past the magic barrier's field as the firewall was put out, due a few magic circles drenching it with a large burst of water. However doing that caused the field to be enveloped by a thick fog.
"D-Damned fog! Where are they!?" A devil shouted.
"I don't know!" Another one exclaimed.
"Someone get rid of this fog! We can't let them get away or else we won't get in the manor!" Another devil ordered.
The blonde woman giggled a bit and smiled as she made the barrier reappear in front of them, with the use of a magic circle. "It appears their endeavors went in vain. Thank you."
"No problem."
The thick fog faded away by the use of a magic circle from the other devils. However to their horror both the young woman and Vince appeared on the other side of the barrier with it, raised.
"Damn it!" A devil yelled in anger.
The young woman walked away for a bit before stopping for a moment. "I won't let you people enter the manor for such a petty reason."
Vince noticed the tense atmosphere around her and decided to remain silent and followed her.
xXxXxXxXxX
The two walked in silence, trekking through a grassy plain with the sky still the same color along with the fake moon still in place. Vince examined the large grassy plain and saw the plain itself vibrant and full of life. Despite this however, he raised an eyebrow upon noticing the climate getting colder the further he walked deeper into the grassy plains.
"I apologize for what you saw earlier. It really was unbecoming of me." The young woman spoke, sounding a bit apologetic.
"It's not your fault. I'd be pissed too if someone tried to raid my house like that." Vince replied with a small shrug.
The young woman smiled a little and turned around. "Thank you for being understanding. My name is Claudia, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise, I'm Vince Reinhart." He said, introducing himself.
"I normally don't let other people enter the barrier in the Valefor manor, but I do wish to repay for helping me." She stated with a small smile.
"Sure. Not to be rude but I thought that the other Valefor clan members were gone because of the Great War." Vince commented bluntly.
Claudia giggled a little as she smiled slightly. "That is merely a misconception. While the main family of the Valefor clan are deceased along with the other members, that doesn't mean that the manor is abandoned."
"Oh. So are you the caretaker or something?" He asked curiously.
"In a manner speaking, yes. But to be more exact, I am the current head maid of the Valefor clan." Claudia answered with a hint of pride in her voice.
(I guess she's not that old then, since she said "current" head maid. Still with Claudia's wording, she makes it sound like she's not the only person living there. I guess I should ask her when I have a good chance to.) Vince thought to himself.
"We can continue this conversation at the manor. It's been a while since the magic circle to teleport guests has been used so I've had to prepare it, while we talked." Claudia answered as a magic circle appeared underneath them.
(A while? I guess this means that not much time has passed since it was last used.) Vince surmised as he and Claudia were teleported away by the magic circle.
xXxXxXxXxX
As the two walked out of the magic circle, a small flake of snow landed on Vince's face, making him scrunch his nose. Looking up he saw the climate completely changed, the entire area, now snowing. Shaking his head, he looked ahead and saw a beautiful garden blanketed in a snowy white veil. Further ahead there lied a lake with clear blue water, over the lake was a bridge also blanked in a snowy white veil.
Vince's eyes lit up as he looked around the area, seeing several benches near the lake and the near the garden. (Wow, I haven't seen snow since I was three years old. It looks a lot different from the snow I remembered. There's definitely a lot more snow and it doesn't seem to have any pollution.)
Claudia smiled upon seeing his reaction. "Impressive isn't it? The area around here is perfect for this type of weather. While it is cold, it is not cold enough to freeze the lake, nor is it warm enough to melt any snow."
"Yeah..."
Following her, northeast stretched out a long route surrounded by large trees blanketed in snow. The tree branches intersected each other, shading the route which in turn made it colder. Looking to his left and right Vince noticed that the entire place had a serene yet somewhat melancholic atmosphere.
Reaching at the end of the route, Vince followed Claudia and saw an elegant looking manor. Just before it was a small plaza, also covered in snow. An elegant looking fountain with an expensive statue at the top, stood in the middle of the small plaza. Despite the snow, the water in fountain flowed fluently. Near the fountain were several benches set around the small plaza and a small pathway branched out. One towards the manor in the north, the other towards a large house in the east and what appeared to be a snowy forest in the west.
"How is it that the water is still running in this freezing weather?" Vince asked suddenly.
"There is a magic circle that keeps the water protected from freezing in this climate. Specifically in this part of the territory." She answered simply.
"Really?"
"Yes, as you noticed earlier we took a magic circle to come here quicker. While it is possible to come here without a magic circle, it usually takes around twelve hours or so to reach the entrance of the manor. Hence why the magic circle was created." Claudia explained as she opened the door to the manor.
The walked in and upon seeing the entrance hall Vince crossed his arms, looking up he saw a vintage chandelier made out of crystal. He blinked twice as he turned his attention towards the two staircases on each side which lead to the second floor, while in the middle lead to a door outside of the manor. Just right underneath the staircase were two doors on each side.
"The outside door leads to an ice rink. While the two staircases leads to the east and west wing respectively. The two doors leads to the dining room." Claudia explained as she lead him to the dining room.
Walking into the room with her, Vince noticed that the large and expensive table in the room filled with antiques ranging from chairs a few cabinets. Glancing at the large windows from two side of the opposite room, he could observe the small snowflakes outside despite the high-priced curtains covering the window. (It certainly has a different feel from the Gremory manor.)
"Please wait here while I prepare us a meal and some coffee, Vince-san." Claudia spoke as she did a bow.
"Oh. Do you want me to help you with that?" He asked.
"No, of course not. You decided to help me as opposed to aid those other devils, so the least I can do is repay you. Please have a seat in the mean time." She replied with a smile.
"If you say so..."
Claudia nodded and left the room, most presumably the kitchen.
Vince sat down on a chair, despite feeling a bit awkward. "This is rather unexpected. Don't you agree Yume?"
[Definitely. Though, I think this will be a perfect chance to tell Claudia your reason for coming here. I'm sure she'll understand.] Yume commented in an optimistic tone.
"I'm not sure she'll go through with that idea. Even if I helped her out, it seemed like something that she wouldn't want to do." He replied with a small sigh.
[Then you should tell her who's DNA is in Angel/Devil, she'll have to agree with it if you tell her.] She replied.
"Assuming she believes the story in the first place..." Vince muttered to more to himself than her.
"Oh? I wasn't aware there was another guest in the manor." Claudia spoke as she brought in a metal cart holding an finger sandwiches, next to a coffee kettle.
"What makes you say that?" He asked, feigning ignorance.
"I can hear you speaking with a woman." She replied in a dry tone.
(Crap. I forgot that Devils have a heightened hearing.) Vince thought as he resisted the urge to palm his face.
"So, would you mind explaining who that woman is?" Claudia asked frowning a little.
"She's the spirit of my Sacred Gear, Yume." He said simply.
[My name is Yume, it's nice to meet you Claudia-san. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier.] Yume spoke politely as she introduced herself.
"Do not worry Yume-san, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She replied with a smile.
Claudia then served both herself and Vince the food on the cart along with a hot cup coffee. Despite her protests, Vince assisted her serving the food.
"Hmm... Since you wield a Sacred Gear. That makes you a human, correct?" Claudia asked curiously as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Yes I am." He replied taking a sip of his coffee.
"I see. This is quite unexpected, I never thought I would ever meet a human, no less in the Underworld." She mused as she took a bite of her finger sandwich.
[Is this your first time seeing a human, Claudia-san?] Yume questioned.
"Yes. I've haven't left the Underworld before-" Claudia paused for a moment as she took a sip of her coffee with more gusto. "I hardly ever leave with the exception of going to buy groceries or anything else that I, or this manor may acquire." Claudia answered as she took another sip of her coffee.
[Claudia-san...]
"I see... So why exactly are we having coffee with finger sandwiches in an afternoon snack? I thought it was usually tea." Vince asked, changing the subject.
"It's quite simple. I adore coffee and I need the caffeine. Would you have preferred tea?" Claudia questioned in a curious tone.
"Nah, I like coffee. I was just curious about it." He replied, taking out his handheld which is black in color, after hearing a beeping sound.
Claudia's eyes immediately lit upon seeing the handheld. "Is that the latest model...?"
"Yeah, just got it a few months ago." He spoke, flipping open the handheld, revealing a top screen while the bottom half of the handheld has a bottom screen. Vince pressed a few buttons on the system and blinked twice upon reading a notification. "Another person with the same system is within range...?"
Claudia smiled a took out the same handheld with the exception of hers being colored green instead. "I never would have thought I would get a notification like this. It truly is a surprise."
"No kidding. Want to compare our games later?" He asked curiously.
"Why of course. Now then-" She finished her cup of coffee and placed her handheld away, her demeanor turning serious. "For what purpose have you come here? I appreciate your assistance in that battle but I know there is a reason to this."
Casually sipping his coffee and finishing his finger sandwich, Vince calmly placed the cup of coffee down and wiped his face with a napkin after putting away his handheld. "I originally wanted to come her to search this place for evidence that would have me as the heir of the Valefor clan. However, I didn't know you were here and now I want to ask you if I can be the heir for a day."
Claudia frowned a bit before she paused for a moment and looked utterly confused. "Why would you want to become the heir for just a day? Wouldn't it be preferable to be the permanent heir?"
"That's because I don't want to be the heir." Vince spoke, frowning a bit.
[Vince, I believe you may have to explain the situation to Claudia-san. You're making her even more confused.] Yume spoke after seeing her expression go from confused to completely lost.
"Right..." Vince cleared his throat and began to explain to Claudia about the situation with Sirzechs and the contract with Venelana in detail. "And that's why I need to pretend to be the heir, at least for a day."
"Oh my... To think that Lucifer-sama would be so bold as to put you in a situation like that and that you would be contracted by her mother to ensure that happens." Claudia spoke, her eyes widening.
"And you believe me?" He looking at her in slight surprise.
"Yes. If you had an ulterior motive then you wouldn't have helped me when you did." She answered.
"Oh, thanks. So it is alright?" Vince asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, I cannot. As much as I would like to help you and Lucifer-sama, I am only a maid. I do not have any sort of jurisdiction in the matter, even if there is no member of the main family alive." Claudia explained.
[Vince.]
"I know Yume." Vince showed Claudia the Sacred Gear on his wrist to her. She looked at the elegant bracelet curious. Half of the bracelet was colored pure white with an elegant angel wing on one side, while the other side was colored pitch black with a demonic looking devil's wing on the other end. "This is my Sacred Gear. It allows me to tap into the two DNA's in it and let's me use the natural abilities of an angel and a devil. The power and appearance from their DNA's are molded from my desire. One of them is from a powerful angel known as Lailah, Angel of Night. While the other is from a devil from a certain clan."
Claudia's eyes widened at the implication. "Wait. You don't mean..."
"Yeah. Like it or not, this Sacred Gear has a member of the main family from the Valefor clan. I still don't know who's the person though." Vince spoke with a small shrug.
"I-I see... Then you might be the one..." She trailed off, closely examining the bracelet.
"Excuse me...?"
"Wait right there. I'll be right back!" Claudia jumped out of her seat and dashed out of the room as fast she could.
Vince stood there blinking owlishly as he slowly turned towards the bracelet on his wrist. "Do you know what happened Yume?"
[N-No. I'm just as confused as you Vince.] Yume spoke, sounding bewildered.
"I'm back!" Claudia quickly ran into the room and breathed a bit heavily, slightly out of breath, holding a letter and an envelope.
"So... What is this?" He asked looking confused.
Claudia remained silent as she read the letter while sharply examining Vince's Sacred Gear. "I don't believe it. The descriptions match albeit with a few slight differences..."
"You mind informing us? We still don't know what you're talking about." Vince brought his hand back and stuffed it in his pocket.
"My apologies." Claudia showed Vince the letter and what caught his attention the most was a picture of an orb eerily similar to his Sacred Gear, colored exactly the same.
[It's Angel/Devil back when it was first created. Wow, does that take me back.] Yume spoke, confirming Vince's suspicions.
(That's Angel/Devil back then...? Huh. It always retains a black and white color, no matter what form it takes.) He thought, crossing his arms.
"I see. Then would you use be so kind as to use your Sacred Gear? If it is authentic then it would be no problem for you to use the genetics in it to change your body and soul to that of a devil." Claudia spoke as she crossed her arms, making her noticeable bust rise.
"And how do you know about that?" Vince asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"The letter not only shows a picture of Angel/Devil but a description of it's abilities." Claudia answered, showing him the paper.
He took the paper and read it thoroughly before nodding. "Alright then."
A magic circle radiating demonic energy momentarily appeared in front of his bracelet. His right arm turned into a demonic looking claw. His claw, palm and forehand illuminated a blue aura, with a large blue crack in the middle of his forearm. The rest of his arm was covered in red organic flesh, with a spike protruding from his elbow. Purple strap-like flesh covered the top part of both of his right arm.
Her eyes widened as Vince extended his demonic arm which caused a spectral arm to shot out of the demonic arm. Said spectral arm grabbed a finger sandwich and returned to the demonic arm. He then took a bite of the sandwich and turned to her. "Is that good enough?"
Claudia nodded as she bowed. "Your Sacred Gear is truly the real one. My sincerest apologies, Vince-sama. I hope you can forgive me."
"Huh?" Vince looked dumbfounded as she held her head low. He shook his head and sighed as he undid his devil transformation, reverting back to normal. "You got nothing to be sorry about. Though, can you explain a few things to me?"
"Of course Vince-sama. What do you wish to know?" Claudia asked as she stopped bowing.
Vince pressed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You mind skipping the formality? I'm not into the nobility thing. Anyway, can you explain, who's genetics I have in my Sacred Gear from? I only know that it's from an Ultimate-Class Devil and said devil is a member of the main family from this clan, the Valefor clan."
"It would be rude not to address you as such Vince-sama. As for your question... The genetics your Sacred Gear contains is from the last head of the Valefor Clan before the untimely demise of the entire clan during the Great War. I was told from the previous head maid, whom she escaped on orders due to the previous head, that he donated his genetics to help preserve his treasure." Claudia explained.
"Huh, to think all this time I've been using the last head's genetics all this time. Even if my desire, altered the living hell out of the appearance and abilities, still..." Vince trailed off, frowning a little.
"The previous head maid also received this letter from the previous head, Vince-sama. Please read it, it's been kept safe for years. Waiting for the wielder of Angel/Devil to read this letter. The previous head maid's last request was for you to read it, should you ever make an appear." She answered seriously.
"Right..." Seeing her serious demeanor, he nodded and took the envelope from her. Vince ripped the envelope open and took out the letter. "Hmm..."
"If you are reading this then you are indeed the wielder of Angel/Devil. A Sacred Gear that was not meant to exist. While I would normally be expected to be against this plan, I was not. I wanted to protect my treasure more than anything, even if I would be considered a traitor. Whether you choose to lead the clan or let it remain as is, that is your decision. As I am sure, you most likely did not have a choice when you were chosen to wield this Sacred Gear. My treasure is the people in my clan. What is your treasure?"
Vince stopped reading the letter aloud and pondered a bit. "My treasure, huh...?"
"Amazing. I never knew the last head of the Valefor clan felt this strongly about the people in his clan." Claudia spoke in a surprised tone.
[So that's why he agreed to this whole idea...] Yume muttered to herself.
Vince sighed and placed the letter on the table. "I didn't expect this type of thing to happen, troublesome."
"What will you do now, Vince-sama?" Claudia asked.
"Stop calling me that. Anyway, I still plan on going through with what I said earlier. I'm going to be the head of the clan for that day during the meeting and that's about it. You can go on with how you were living your life before I came." He answered.
Claudia's eyes widened at his response. "Really? But wouldn't you want to be the head? Not to many people would turn down something like this. Especially since you'll be the definitive head of the Valefor clan, unlike the other clans that have other heirs in line you'll be the only one with full control over the clan despite being an heir."
"Positive. It'll be a pain to deal with the headaches that comes with being the heir." He replied dryly.
"I see... How unusual. Most humans and devils would quickly agree to such a proposition." Claudia commented.
Vince shrugged and looked around. "Not to be rude but is it okay if I go get started with the preparations? That infernal gathering is tomorrow."
"Of course Vince-sama. I shall help with those preparations as well. Is there anything else that we should do?" She asked curiously.
"Well, for one you can start by saying my name without the honorific. You had no problem doing it earlier." Vince spoke as he crossed his arms.
Claudia however shook her head. "I cannot. It would be rude of me to address you as such."
His only response was to pinch the bridge of his nose. "How about this then? Call me by my name today and tomorrow, call me by that title when we're in public. Will that better suit you?"
"Yes, thank you... Vince." She said, pausing for a moment.
"Thanks. Now then, is there a place to get some casual clothes for tomorrow? I have feeling my school outfit won't be enough." Vince commented as he looked at his own school uniform.
Claudia nodded then glanced at his bandaged arm. "Of course. There is a question I've been meaning to ask you for a while. Permission to ask Vince?"
"You don't have to ask me permission to ask a question, Claudia." He replied as his eye slightly twitched in annoyance.
"How is it that your arm became in that condition?" She asked curiously.
"Training accident." Vince replied vaguely, recalling the memory.
"I see... Shall I go heal your wounded arm then?" Claudia questioned.
"It's not injured, just paralyzed. I'll gain back it's mobility sooner or later." He answered.
She nodded as she looked at his bandaged arm. "There are remedies for paralysis in the infirmary. I'm positive they can restore movement to your arm, regardless of the cause. Shall I take you there?"
"Sure. It'll save some time over buying a vial of Phenex Tears." Vince commented.
Claudia nodded and as she led him to the infirmary.
xXxXxXxXxX
Vince blinked twice as he walked into a large room colored pure white with various medical equipment and medicines, outfitted to look like a hospital room. To the side of the room were doors which led to a few bathroom and on the other side medical beds. "Damn... So how is there modern medical equipment and medicine here? I thought things were bit more old fashioned with treatments."
Claudia giggled as she looked over a cabinet filled with needles. "I asked the same question a few years ago. While it is true other Devils prefer things the old fashion way to a certain extent due to wanting to keep tradition, the previous head maid told me that the last head of the Valefor clan had a fascination for technology and made sure that the manor was well equipped with it. The manor recently went under maintenance to keep up with modern technology, out of respect and the maintenance was well over due."
"Huh..." Vince sat on a chair in the room, that was next to a window.
"Here we go." Claudia closed the cabinet and took out a vial along with a noticeably large needle.
(Great. A large needle... Like I haven't seen that one before.) He thought to himself, sarcastically.
"Do not worry, Vince. I've been trained to do this by the last head maid. I-" A loud beeping echoed through the room as Claudia took out her handheld. "One moment please, I just got this update for a new quest in this game I just bought."
"Even if I lost all feeling in my arm, should I let her give me the injection...? I mean, yeah I get it that a video game update is important but still..." Vince muttered to himself.
Claudia smiled and placed the handheld down while disinfecting her hands with some cleaning materials. After finishing she filled the needle with the vial. "This might hurt okay?"
"Go for it." He replied shrugging off the warning.
After nodding she inserted the needle directly into his left arm and injected the vial into his body.
Despite her warning Vince felt nothing for a few moments until he felt a sharp pain in his left arm, followed by a burning sensation. "Aaargh! Damn it all, it hurts!"
"I warned you Vince. This medicine is very potent. It heals and restores the function along with the sensation, however it is a bit painful." Claudia informed as she went back to her handheld after removing the needle and carefully throwing it away along with bandaging the area where Vince received the shot.
"At least my arm is okay." He replied as he winced a bit in pain.
"You should wait at least a day before using your arm for anything strainous, to have it better accustomed working again." She advised.
Vince nodded as he slowly moved his left arm. "Thanks."
"You are welcome. Though as of now, I believe now would be a good time to show you around the manor." Seeing his look, Claudia smiled a little. "Rest assured we will finish our preparations before tomorrow's gathering starts Vince."
"Alright then." He nodded hesitantly and got up from his seat, following her as she gave him a tour of the manor.
xXxXxXxXxX
"Do you understand now Vince?" Claudia asked smiling a bit.
"Yeah..." Vince examined the room with a curious expression.
The room itself was a large dim lit bedroom, filled with various manga and video game posters. Looking ahead, he saw a large bed and right near it was an expensive looking computer. Blinking twice, Vince turned his attention towards the other part of the room and saw a large screen tv with several video game consoles all nearby and connected to the T.V. Nearby the T.V. was a large shelf, filled to the brim with various video games from various consoles. "I think I love this room, already."
Claudia smiled and giggled a bit. "Thank you for the compliment. I take great pride in having my room fitted with the latest manga and gaming equipment."
Vince nodded as he looked around her room. Upon seeing a corner of her bedroom with a few posters above a shelf, filled with manga and pictures of various bishounen boys in rather suspiciously close distance, holding each other, he turned around and palmed his face. "I think I spoke too soon..."
Claudia noticed where Vince's line of sight trailed at and blinked. "Oh? I suppose you don't like BL manga or anime?"
"Not one bit." He replied dryly.
"That shouldn't be any concern, Vince. You can come into my room anytime for any reason and if it's within my power, I will help you with any desire you have..." Claudia teased, giving him a small wink.
Vince rolled his eyes, but chuckled a little. "Whatever you say MMO Junkie."
"Excuse me?!" She asked, puffing up her cheeks a little in annoyance.
Vince said nothing but instead pointed to her computer's scene.
"Eh?" Claudia looked closer at the screen and saw that the playtime for the MMO exceeded past four hundred hours. "Hehehe, it's a really good one, you should make an account and try it."
Vince however shook his head. "Nah, I'll pass. I don't exactly have fond experiences with MMO's. Anyway, do you know where to get some more suitable clothes? As much as I hate to admit it, going there with just my regular clothes aren't really going to cut it. Especially since this will be my first meeting."
"Of course. I'll go contact the tailor right away." Claudia spoke as she took out a green cellphone.
"Tailor...?"
"Yes. Don't worry, she's highly skilled. She even created all of my outfits." She said as she did a small twirl, showcasing her elegant outfit, along with her curves.
"You know. You sound a lot more like a noble rather than a maid, Claudia." Vince commented.
"Oh really? Thank you, that means a lot. The previous head maid, made sure to teach me everything there is to know about high society." She placed her hand to her mouth and giggled a little. "But she certainly didn't expect for me to choose the hobbies I have today."
(Yeah, I'm pretty sure she didn't.) He thought to himself.
"However, despite all of this. I do need to have you brush up a bit on high society. Tomorrow is an important day as you stated earlier." Claudia answered in a serious tone, her jovial tone now gone.
"I'll pass on that. I had someone try to do the same thing to me a few hours ago. Besides, I DO have manners. I just choose not to use them unless I have to." Vince replied with a frown.
"I see... In that case then at least allow me to teach you on how to deal with negotiations between devils from different clans. If you're not careful, they will try to take advantage of you and have you underneath their thumb as soon as possible. This will be especially true due to the fact that you are now acting as the sole heir and the only one with the real authority in the Valefor clan." She replied, still looking serious.
"...Alright. I see your point, it would be foolish to go in unprepared for something like that. Especially with the amount of resources this place has. When do we begin?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Right after I check the latest update for my MMO. I heard that they were releasing a new expansion today and-" Claudia continued to tell Vince about the features and the updates, making him sigh inwardly.
(Claudia's not a bad person. But she's definitely an MMO junkie.) He thought to himself.
xXxXxXxXxX
A magic circle appeared near a hotel building as it flashed for a moment as Claudia and Vince walked out of it. "This is the city of Luciferd within the Maou's territory. It's the old capital of the Underworld where the previous Lucifer-sama lived."
"Right. So... Are you going to explain later on about what happened to you?" Vince asked as he examined her.
Now, wearing a strapless white dress with green trims, that showed a tasteful amount of her cleavage. However Claudia's light blond hair is now longer and straight worn in a ponytail, now colored sea-foam green colored and her eyes now in a light purple color. "Of course Vince-sama. May I be as bold as to see you look handsome in your clothes?"
"You don't have to ask Claudia for permission. Just say what's on your mind." Vince replied frowning a little.
"Of course, my apologies." She said apologizing.
(Hmm... Claudia is a lot stronger now than when I first met her. She was obviously holding back. She was at a High-Class Devil's level, in terms of power alone. But I didn't think she would be this strong. Her demonic energy is borderline if not barely on a Ultimate-Class Devil's level.) He thought to himself as he shook his head.
"Vince-sama... Is something wrong?" Claudia asked, looking at him.
Vince sighed a little as he looked down at his own clothes. Now wearing a formal black suit with no tie, with a black shirt underneath it, large grey boots and black gloves. "Nothing really. It's just a little unusual to wear boots, but at least this can be used in a battle."
"It's not uncommon Vince-sama. At times, men wear dress boots which are short leather boots. Much like dress shoes." Claudia explained.
"I get that. Though these boots are longer than dress boots. I think they may be combat boots instead." He commented, looking at them.
"They are combat boots. As per your request, this suit can be used in combat." She stated, smiling a little.
"No problem. Still, that tailor is good. I'm surprised that she was even able to hide my devil bringer and make it durable enough to wear I don't have to worry about breaking it." Vince stated, sounding a bit impressed.
"Why of course, she is one of the best tailors available. Although, it was quite obvious that if you remove that glove in your left hand your devil bringer will be shown." Claudia said.
"I know. And it looks like we won't be getting any attention. That's good." Vince said, smiling a little.
"What makes you say that Vince-sama?" Claudia asked curiously.
Vince said nothing but instead pointed to a group of devils on a station platform looking at Rias with longing gazes.
"Kyaaah! Princess Rias-samaaaaaaa!"
"How surprising to think that we would see Rias-sama, the Maou's younger sister. She's a yearned after target among low- and middle-class devils. And her peerage is there too, this is most likely because of that gathering." She mused.
"Who would have thought? That the tomato is popular." Vince said in a teasing tone.
Claudia held a hand to her mouth and giggled. "That's not very nice of you to say of Rias-sama, Vince-sama."
"Maybe. But her hair makes her look like a tomato." He replied shrugging.
"Well, with the group being distracted by Rias-sama and her peerage we can use the opportunity to board a private train, that I had prepared in advance." Claudia spoke as she led him into another corridor, separate from the area Rias and the others were heading towards.
"Right." Vince calmly followed her and paused for a moment until a look of curiosity appeared on his face. "Say Claudia, how come you don't wear a maid's outfit like some of the other maids like Grayfia for example?"
"That is due to the last head of the clan. He ordered that wearing maid outfits and wearing butler suits would be considered optional for the maids and butlers that used to serve the clan. However as per traditions, wearing the uniform or outfit within Valefor territory is mandatory. I normally don't wear a maid's outfit since there's no master to serve, until now." Claudia explained.
"I see. Well, you don't have to wear a maid's outfit if you don't want to. Besides, this only for a day so I can complete my job. After this, we'll go back to living how we used too." Vince spoke with a small nod.
"I see. It may be difficult to do so. Remember that a large majority, if not the entire Underworld will be aware of your status." She pointed out.
He completely stopped walking and paused for a moment until a look of realization appeared on his face. "...Damn."
"Don't worry, Vince-sama. While being an heir is not easy, you certainly have advantages that other heirs would dream they wish they would have." Claudia said, trying to reassure him.
"I guess... I mean, no one call boss me around with any clan matters and it's not like I have to watch over a large group of people. There's also the fact that I have a job to finish and I don't want to break that contract. I want that game bundle badly." Vince commented to himself.
"Oh? Which game bundle is it?" She asked curiously.
He folded his hands behind his head as he began telling her about the bundle.
xXxXxXxXxX
Arriving at from an elevator, Vince and Claudia walked into a wide hall. Just then they were greeted by an employee.
"Greetings, might you two provide some identification?" The man asked.
"Of course." Vince nodded and handed the man a letter from his pocket.
The employee took the letter and read it. As he read more or the letter his eyes widened greatly. After finishing reading he bowed deeply. "M-My deepest apologizes Valefor-sama, I was not aware that you were summoned by Lucifer-sama. B-But how are you here? I thought the entire clan was destroyed."
"That's a long story. Oh and the young woman next to me is the head maid of my clan." He replied, gesturing towards her.
Claudia smiled and did a small bow. "Hello."
The man nodded and returned the greeting while returning the letter back to Vince, to which he pocketed his letter.
Claudia and Vince followed the employee, after going down a certain passage, the two saw several people in a corner, with Rias and her peerage already ahead of them.
Seeing this, Vince moved a bit to the side, to avoid being seen by them, to which Claudia did and followed him.
"Sairaorg!" Rias called out.
Vince raised an eyebrow as a boy around Issei's age with short black hair, violet eyes and a muscular build approached them.
"It's been a while, Rias." The guy said as he shook hands with her.
"Yeah, I missed you. It's good to see that you're doing well. There are also people here who haven't met you yet. This person is Sairaorg. He's my cousin on my mother's side." Rias stated as she introduced them.
(Now that, that's brought up. I do seem some similarities to Sirzechs. Weird.) Vince thought to himself.
"I'm Sairaorg Bael, the next head of the Bael family." He said, introducing himself.
"To think that's Sairaorg Bael. His power is impressive..." Claudia muttered to herself.
"So, what are you doing in a passage like this?" Rias asked curiously.
"Ah, we came out here because it's so idiotic in there." He replied.
"...Idiotic? Have the other members also arrived then?" She questioned, looking somewhat intrigued.
"Agares and Astaroth have already arrived. Zephyrdol came last. Immediately after he arrived, Zephyrdol and Agares started arguing." Sairaorg answered with an expression with noticeable dislike.
"I wonder what they were fighting about?" Vince wondered to herself.
A loud smashing sound suddenly echoed through the walls as the building shook greatly.
Vince narrowed his eyes as Claudia turned to him. He noticed this and sighed. "Stay close and don't fight unless it's in self-defense."
"Very well, Vince-sama." Claudia answered as she followed Vince who sprinted towards the source of the noise, while making sure to stay behind everyone else.
"Geez, this is why I advised not meeting before the meeting." Sairaorg said sighing.
Beyond the opened big door was an utterly demolished banquet hall. Ranging from tables, chairs and decorations, all beaten and/or destroyed.
All the devils in the room were split into two camps who glared at each other at the center of the room. With weapons drawn, and a tense atmosphere in the air.
One side was made of goblin-like devils. The other side seemed to be made of relatively ordinary devils. However, both groups gave off an aura that was full of killing intent.
"Troublesome..." Vince muttered to himself.
Within the room a table still safely remained in a corner of the hall and elegant-looking servant devils could be seen. In the center of these gentle-looking male devils... was a woman drinking tea.
"Zephyrdol, can you not help starting a fight at a place like this? Do you want to die? Do you really want to die? Even if I kill you, I won't be blamed by the people on top." A female said coolly.
Said female is an incredibly attractive woman, wearing a glasses and a very conservative blue robe.
(Something tells me she has the power to back up the threat.) Vince thought to himself.
"Hah! I'll say it again, bitch! I said that I'd teach you in one shot in a private room with great trouble! The Agares' onee-san really doesn't like being without her guards, now does she? Heh, is that why you're still a virgin who hasn't let a man come near her till now!? Geez, all the women of families of the Maous stink of virgins and are unbearable! That's why I said that I'd do a formal opening ceremony for you!" Said a guy with black magic-like tattoo on his face, with green hair standing on it's end, with his upper body bare and uncovered with a similar tattoo pattern to the one on his face, wearing pants having a few ornament that made sounds.
"Ugh... How utterly revolting." Claudia spoke, frowning a bit.
"No arguments here. What's this room used for anyway? It's hard to tell with the crap lying around here." Vince added.
Sairaorg came up to Issei but cleared his throat loud enough to get Vince's attention. "This place is a waiting hall where we remain on standby until the time comes. To explain it better, the young people gather here and give each other small greetings. However, this is what happens when the young people greet each other. By gathering many hot-blooded people together, problems like this also come out. The old devils of the old families and high-class devils cant help assuming that this is a good thing. I don't want to have anything to do with such a useless thing, but it can't be helped."
"I see. It certainly does look like a waste of time." Vince said in agreement.
Rias and the others turned to Vince after hearing his voice and their eyes widened greatly.
"Vince...?" Rias spoke as she blushed a bit after seeing his appearance.
He gave a small wave to Rias and the others as he walked towards the center of the room while chuckling a little. Sairaorg however followed him making sure to keep a watchful eye over everything.
"Just what is Vince-sama up to?" Claudia wondered to herself.
"I didn't think I would be in a gathering where there's always that one guy that's just a pain in the ass. You're a real prince charming, aren't you? And then there's troublesome other that just adds fuel to the fire." Vince snarked, taking a glance at both of them.
The young woman's eyes narrowed as she glared coldly at Vince. "And who exactly are you?"
"Vince Valefor. Heir to the Valefor clan." He replied simply, ignoring the angered look from Zephyrdol and her surprised expression.
"Don't you dare ignore me! And why don't say that to my face again? You no name bastard. I bet you're not even a real heir, just some bastard that got lucky passing security." Zephyrdol said glaring at him.
"You know, you're not that much different from a stray devil or some loudmouth loser. I bet you're just a dime a dozen." Vince answered simply.
"You little piece of shit!" He yelled, getting close within striking range.
Despite this however, Vince just grinned and took a step forward. "You mind doin' me a favor and leaning back a bit? I'm not really looking for a boyfriend."
A vein started throbbing on his forehead as his face turned red with anger. He cocked his fist back and aimed at Vince's face. "You incompetent son of a-"
Vince ducked underneath his punch while smirking a bit. He grabbed face and slammed it into floor, making him scream in pain from the force behind it while making a few spectators wince. Not being finished yet, Vince picked him up, only to kick him in the stomach with enough force to send him across the room and right into a wall.
"Guuuuugh..." Zephyrdol coughed up some blood as he slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"Hardly a fight." He commented as he fixed his leather glove.
"You bastard!"
"Damn you!"
Vince turned around and saw Zephyrdol's peerage ready to strike. He sighed and got ready for another fight. However one moment later, Claudia appeared in front of Vince at startling speed that surprised most people.
Despite Claudia remaining silent, it was clear through her expression that she's ready to defend Vince.
However, Sairaorg walked in between the peerage and Claudia. "I believe that is enough. Your master despite being provoked, attacked him first. If you go any further than this, I will be your opponent, in addition to this young woman."
Vince raised an eyebrow as he continued. "Look after your master. That's the first thing you should do. Even if you turn your swords towards us, you will gain nothing. -The important function will be starting soon, so make sure your master recovers first."
His peerage eyes's widened greatly as they quickly stopped and then ran over to Zephrydol to tend to him.
Vince sighed a bit and then turned to the woman with the robe. "Does this mean I have to fight you next?"
The young woman stiffened as Sairaorg shook his head. "I doubt that, that would be necessary." He then turned towards her. There's still time. Put your make-up on again. It wouldn't do to attend the function while wearing something so bad."
"I-I understand." The young woman turned back and then left the hall along with her family, but not before taking one last glance at Vince.
Sairaorg then spoke to his own peerage. "Call the staff. The hall is too messed up, and I won't be able to have tea with Rias or Vince like this."
A few members of his peerage nodded and left while Vince raised an eyebrow. "You know about me?"
"Yes, I've heard quite a few things about you. I even remember you from the previous engagement party." Sairaorg then raised an eyebrow. "You're a member of the Valefor clan?"
Vince however sighed rubbed his temples. "It's a long story. Anyway, thanks for giving me a hand back there."
"It was no problem. I know that you wanted it to end the fight as soon as possible, but was it wise to antagonize both of them. Zephyrdol and Agares are well known." Sairaorg asked.
"Yeah... So who is who?" He questioned.
"Zephyrdol is the person you knocked out while Agares was the one drinking tea." Sairaorg answered, chuckling a little.
"Oh."
"Ah, Hyoudou. Reinhart...?"
Turning around, Vince and Issei saw Saji and Sona.
"So it's Saji. Ah, Kaichou too." Issei commented.
"Hello Rias, Hyoudou-kun, Vince-san." Sona greeted.
She noticed Vince's black formal suit and noticed Claudia next to him and raised an eyebrow.
Vince saw this along with the confused looks from the others and sighed. "It's a long story."
"Can you care to explain to us?" Rias asked raising an eyebrow.
"I'd really rather not." He replied dryly.
xXxXxXxXxX
"I am Seekvaira Agares. The next head of the Agares family, rank Archduke." The young woman greeted.
Vince held back a sigh and looked around, seeing the other heirs sitting around the table, along with their servants near them with the exception of Zephyrdol and his servants. Along with the reception hall being returned mostly to normal, due to the staff member's magic.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Rias Gremory, the next head of the Gremory family." Rias greeted gracefully.
"I'm Sona Sitri, the next head of the Sitri family." Sona introduced seriously.
"I'm Sairaorg Bael, I'm the next head of the Bael family, rank Great King." Sairaorg introduced himself majestically.
A boy with a gentle atmosphere who had gracefully been drinking tea all through the uproar earlier also spoke.
"I'm Diodora Astaroth, the next head of the Astaroth family. Please take care of me, everyone." A gentle looking boy greeted as he gracefully drank some tea.
"Names Vince Valefor. Though, I prefer the surname, Reinhart. I'm the next head of the Valefor clan. Rank of Duke." Vince introduced simply.
With the exception of Rias everyone raised an eyebrow at his introduction, even Sona.
"The Glaysa-Labolas family seemed to have had some family trouble the other day. The person who was supposed to be the next head of the family just had an unforeseen accidental death. Zephyrdol from just before is said to have become the new candidate for the next head." Sairaorg explained.
Everyone then turned to Vince, waiting for an explanation. However, he was busy drinking a cup of coffee. Upon noticing, he raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Seekvaira sighed and turned to him with a stern look. "How are you the heir to the Valefor clan? The clan was supposed to have been lost."
"We also weren't expecting another heir to appear suddenly." Sairaorg added.
"Ah, that. Long story, short. Lucifer invited me here to attend to this gathering. As for me being the heir... Let's just say a thing or two happened." Vince answered rather cryptically.
"Oh? And what sort of thing happened?" Seekvaira questioned seriously.
Everyone turned to Vince who shrugged. "I'll have to decline answering that question. That's a rather personal issue, and there's a majority of people in this room that I just don't trust enough to answer."
Sona and Rias nodded in understanding while Sairaorg chuckled a bit. Diodora heard but decided not to pay to much attention, opting to take a glance at Asia instead while taking a sip of his tea. Seekvaira on the other hand frowned a bit and looked at him with a sharp look. "Even still. This is an important matter that we must know. You can't expect us to believe that you're taking up the position with little to no reason."
Vince however looked back at Seekvaira with his arms crossed. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. This is a personal issue and I refuse to discuss that issue with a bunch of people I've just met."
Seekvaira's eyes narrowed at his response while he shrugged. "Moving on, my head maid can prove my authenticity as heir of the clan. Claudia, if you would?"
Said person nodded and cleared her throat. "Vince-sama has proven that he is the rightful heir to the Valefor clan. He has passed the requirement that the last head of the clan has set forth in order for him to be the heir in addition to having a unique trait the last head of the clan has stated in his letter before his passing."
As if on cue, Vince rolled up his right sleeve and removed his black leather glove. With the exception of Rias and Sona, everyone's eyes widened as seeing a demonic looking claw. His claw, palm and forehand illuminated a blue aura, with a large blue crack in the middle of his forearm. The rest of his arm was covered in red organic flesh, with a spike protruding from his elbow. Purple strap-like flesh covered the top part of both of his right arm.
Sona then raised an eyebrow as did Rias, upon noticing that the demonic looking claw seemed to be radiating demonic energy more so then usual.
"Now that, that's taken care of. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed? That's not about my personal issue?" Vince asked as he brought down his right sleeve and placed his leather glove back on.
Seekvaira's eye twitched slightly at the jab while Sairaorg chuckled a little and Rias along with Sona sighed a little.
A door then opened over at another part of the room and an employee came in. "Sorry for making you all wait for so long. -Everyone is waiting."
xXxXxXxXxX
Author's Notes: Phew, finally I'm done with this chapter. I think this may be my longest chapter which was a bit exhausting to write.
I wanted to go with a more unique location for the manor so I decided to go through with this idea. I personally like it.
Choosing the type of maid I wanted was actually one of the most hardest decisions I made in this chapter. After a lot of planning and thinking through, I thought this would be the best choice. As for why she's powerful and her seemingly unique appearance is going to be explained soon, however I will say that I did want a powerful maid and I did base her off a video game character incase anyone is curious.
That's all I have to say for now. The list for Vince's current harem is down below for those who asked. Let me know what you think about the chapter and I will try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible, take care.
Vince's Harem: Rias, Akeno, Rena (Ex-girlfriend), Yasaka, Gabriel, Rossweisse, Kasumi (DOA) and Akari (Phase-4, DOA). In no particular order.