Diodora opened his eyes again to an unfamiliar ceiling, as well as an unfamiliar sensation all over his body. He felt stronger, younger. And unlike a normal waking up, he didn't feel stiff from having laid in a single position for a prolonged period of time. He felt clean too, as if he just got out of a deep-cleaning session in the shower. Almost as fresh too.
Strange, yet not unwelcome. It made Diodora feel as if he had been dreaming this entire time. As if the few months in this world hadn't happened at all. It'd be funny to simply wake up and find himself in the house he knew from years prior, with a face that now felt a bit unfamiliar from months without seeing it.
Alas, no such luck. He knew the hands and feet he saw weren't that of his original body, but of Diodora Astaroth. His eyes saw too clearly, his ears reached too far.
He shuffled in place, getting the white sheets off himself. His clothes were wholly absent except for a pair of shorts preserving his modesty.
That made people outside leave their seats and enter the room.
"...?" Diodora frowned upon seeing the devils that approached, oddly out of place in the human world. Fully dressed in their aristocracy-like clothes.
"How do you do? I see you've woken up." The little blonde girl, Ravel Phoenix, lifted the skirt of her dress slightly as she greeted him. Behind her, Riser Phoenix glared evenly in Diodora's direction.
"Lord Riser Phoenix, young lady Ravel." Her greeting helped Diodora fall back to customs, etiquette. To a margin of acting and reacting that he understood and helped him move forward "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"I see your etiquette is good enough, as expected of the household that brought up the current Beelzebub." Riser responded with a hoarse tone, arms crossed and a small nod in place of a bow.
"You're way too kind." Diodora had to reply.
"Of course we'd be here." Ravel smiled kindly "An urgent request for our tears came the other day, after all."
"I am Rias' fiancé," Riser added, walking forward to get to Ravel's side. He placed a hand on her shoulder, apparently losing some tension "It is only right that I am in the know about what happens around her."
"That cannot be faulted." Diodora nodded "And yet you've made some time to visit. For that, I thank you."
"It's alarming that an heir to one of the 72 Pillars would be attacked like this in broad daylight. Let alone within Rias' territory." Riser looked like he wanted to sigh, but tensed a bit more instead "Though I am hoping you would not take it against her."
What a curious way of thinking. Didn't they know it had been Diodora's own Queen who almost killed him?
Olivia's expression came back to Diodora's mind for a moment. He shook his head to dispel it.
"Nonsense. Rias has been nothing but an exemplary host. I'd not fault her for my own shortcomings."
Riser lost some of his frown after Diodora said that.
"Very gracious." Ravel took the turn to answer.
He suspected as much, but it felt as though the older sibling hadn't quite mastered public relationships like the younger one did.
Diodora made a note about it.
"She even went out of her way to ask for top tier treatment immediately. It'd be shameful of me to act any differently." Diodora guessed it had been her. Both because of Riser's presence and because he didn't see Sona doing that.
"Indeed, it is only right." Riser nodded with a note of satisfaction in his voice.
Diodora tilted his head, pretending to stretch his neck as he saw Riser soften up a bit more. It didn't make sense to him, at least right off the bat. Even if he thought that Riser wouldn't always be the standoffish problem that appeared in the original timeline, the way he acted right then puzzled Diodora to no end.
Another trick? So suddenly after waking up? How disappointing. He'd have liked to wake up and see Rias worried sick about his well being. Maybe even hug him tightly, while her peerage made some funny comments about it. But alas, the world never quite worked out that way for him.
It helped him put everything else aside, however. So he didn't protest too much. Not even in his mind. He could use the respite, even if it lasted for just a moment.
"Forgive me if I cannot express my gratitude with anything but words, I shall make sure to amend that when I am able." Diodora lowered his head slightly, closing his eyes as he tried to hear beyond the walls of the room.
"You cannot be faulted for taking your time." Ravel replied this time "Even with our tears, Lord Diodora has been out cold for a few days. Please don't strain yourself unduly because of us."
Diodora blinked a couple of times, for a moment trying not to show his surprise. But soon enough letting it flow freely. He hadn't recovered immediately? What? How badly had he been injured? How badly did Stain damage him? He couldn't help shiver at the thought.
"Ah, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." The blonde girl looked a bit troubled, deciding if approaching would be good or not.
"Ravel, we should let him rest." Riser shook the little girl's shoulder a bit. Expression neutral, or at least as neutral as his prideful air let him.
"Yes, if you excuse us." The little girl lifted her skirt a bit again, still mindful of etiquette.
Diodora smiled and shook his head. He didn't actually need a moment, he needed much more time than that. He needed to root out a creature that he had employed for some time already, this wouldn't be resolved with just being left alone for a few minutes.
Currently, Stain's many bodies had spread through the Khaos Brigade and some around the Human World. The creature had single-handedly become Diodora's network of information, and acquired many skills through the assimilation of its victims. To destroy such a creature, Diodora would need to bring all of its bodies back together and annihilate them all at once.
He fired his mental spell again. A lot dimmer than when he had been burned, but enough to slow down his spiraling thoughts.
This wouldn't be solved in one sitting, and he couldn't do anything presently. He'd have to slowly figure it out, but for now he needed to calm down.
He didn't even notice when the Phoenix left the room.
Come to think of it, he didn't even manage to piece together what the Phoenix's presence meant…
The door opened up. Not a full blow, neither had it been a demure push either. Some force had been employed, and Sona's frown alongside a brunette following her meekly made Diodora halt in his thoughts.
"Huh…" Diodora tried to sharpen his thoughts, but he couldn't figure out who that was "Do I know you?"
"Do you have amnesia?" Sona crossed her arms, coldness basically oozing out of her.
"Not you." Diodora motioned with his chin at the girl "Her."
"Oh, I…"
"Her name is Abe Kiyome, a beast tamer." Sona interrupted her, her frown hardening.
Diodora's mind halted completely.
"Oh…"
"Oh, indeed." The raven haired devil girl nodded "You have things to explain."
Diodora could've made excuses, he could've used the ideas he had since the moment he chose Stain to root himself into this world in a way that couldn't be openly opposed. The Oblex, in the end, had been chosen due to its incredibly useful abilities and the difficulty to root it out in a single blow. The very same things that Diodora feared it for now.
He could've tried to stall for time. Tell Sona that he hadn't recuperated yet, that he needed some time and that he'd willingly place himself under lock and key for that time to be granted for him.
He didn't.
Sona Sitri was way too smart to buy into any of his excuses, and the more Diodora looked at Kiyome Abe's apprehension, the more he understood that the danger of his little 'pet' had made itself clear for the Sitri heiress.
He felt thankful for it, in a way. Just like his reaction when Ravel told him of his time of unconsciousness, Diodora prepared to deny and hide his involvement with Stain the moment he understood the situation. Yet Sona's expression made him reconsider, forcing his mind to halt and think more coldly.
No. His desire aligned with Sona's, he knew. Even before speaking, he understood this much. He had blinded himself to the dangers, made excuses while the creature worked for him. But after seeing its power first-hand like this, when he couldn't pretend he'd defeat the creature, the fear he had burrowed came back to the surface.
So he explained. Twisting how the creature had eaten his remaining pieces a bit, because he couldn't just say that he had wanted to get rid of them from the beginning. But that had flowed well enough. He told her about how the creature's disposition changed after absorbing most of his pieces, and how it had followed him afterward. How, originally, he hadn't wanted to employ it (as a piece, he had wanted to use the creature as a separate agent but he omitted that part). And finally, what happened when Olivia turned against him.
Through this all, Kiyome Abe's focus remained solely on him.
"I think she lost it. The weight of the battle against the church finally broke her, and Stain protected me. I don't know how much it came from wanting to eat Olivia and how much it came from actually thinking about me, but that's how it unfolded." Diodora fell to silence, letting the girls think for themselves.
He laid down things as well as he could. Adding more would only make the truth easier to pick up between his lies. Plus, he genuinely wanted the girls to arrive at their own conclusions.
Talking badly about Stain only threatened to invite a repeat of Olivia's rebellion. Only this time, Diodora doubted it'd end so soon after it happened. The Oblex wouldn't just lash out violently like Olivia did. It'd pick its battles, it'd seep in between the cracks. Attack in angles no one would be watching out for.
An ambush predator in a world where psychopaths addicted to bloodshed were simply called 'battle maniacs'. The standards of this world were ill-suited to dispose of something like Stain.
"I understand." Kiyome Abe nodded to herself, hand on her chin.
"Fully?" Sona gave her a look.
"Well, no. Oblexes are extremely rare. So rare that some texts treat them as myth, but I have enough of a picture now. They're not the only psychic creatures around, and I've dealt with creatures with different levels of… Well, parasitism." The brunette explained. Every bit as serious as someone talking about the safety of the town.
"Parasitism." Sona echoed, nodding her head "I suppose it fits."
"It doesn't really." Kiyome Abe twisted her lips, unsure "It's an extreme case of aggressive mimicry. You can see it in nature too, although things get blurry when magic gets involved."
Sona frowned at the girl like she was looking at Diodora.
"There doesn't seem to be anything natural about that monster."
"If Diodoran-san is to be believed, the creature has lived in relative harmony for quite some time in the jungle." The brunette frowned too. She probably didn't like being challenged in her topic of expertise "Enough that it split up."
That made Diodora's heart stop for a moment.
"Split?"
"Yes. If your servants have influenced its mind so strongly, then that means your slime was juvenile and had seldom fed." The girl nodded, sounding more sure now "As far as I understand, the creature grows in intelligence in accordance to the creatures it assimilates. It's a blank slate in the beginning, with only basic instincts."
"Don't they duplicate to reproduce?" Sona asked.
Kiyome Abe hesitated.
"This…"
"She did say Stain's race is rare at best." Diodora interjected.
"I did, yes." The brunette nodded.
Sona didn't look convinced.
"I understand your worries, I really do." Diodora placed his hand on his chest, and he felt like he hadn't been this honest in a while "But as far as I'm aware, Stain hasn't attacked anyone in this town. I shall take responsibility for its actions if…"
"We can't wait until it acts up." Sona interrupted, actually angry now. Diodora stopped himself from smiling "There's no next time if it does act up and attacks. We're not taking that chance."
"Then let's compromise." Diodora jumped to the opportunity "Let's talk methods, safety measurements. I will personally see to them, and you can call whoever experts you want. But please consider that I have very few servants, and I can't keep losing them like this."
Sona's glare softened, deep in thought.
Diodora gave her the room she needed. Thinking about what would come next.
Perhaps he treated her too harshly, thinking her a secondary concern like he did Rias' individual followers. It struck me as ironic, although he didn't like the taste of being wrong in his lips.
"Sure, let's call someone that can help." Sona finally stated.
Diodora nodded.
"Speaking of helpful people," He added "Thank you very much for…"
"Thank Rias." Sona interjected.
"Right." Diodora lowered his head.
"Listen, I don't feel inclined to get you off the hook. You brought an abomination to this town, and have let it roam free for who knows how long. If it were for me, you'd be banished from this town immediately. But that's not the most pragmatic solution." She spoke freely and without running circles. Diodora couldn't help nodding along, understanding her point as she went on "If it were me, I'd get one of Melogale's toys and blow you up alongside your pet, but for now I won't. Don't pull any petty tricks, Diodora. This will be my last warning."
Diodora smiled a bit.
"Then, let me be frank with you myself." Diodora beckoned her, wordlessly asking for her to lean closer.
Sona hesitated but humored his request.
Diodora augmented the air around him with demonic power. Make it so not even a devil in the same room could hear his next words.
"I am evil and twisted, and all your fears about me are true." Diodora's voice had enough venom to almost affect someone physically. Yet he spoke clearly and without faltering "But I'm also not a fool. My wrongness is not for you to suffer, I shall fight evil with evil. And I hope we can get along until you see."
Diodora laid back down on the bed. His smile was as pleasant as it had been since the beginning.
When Sona righted her back, she looked as serious as before.
"We'll see." She turned around, motioning to Kiyome Abe with her head.
The beast tamer looked worried but moved along. Diodora waved them off until their backs were turned to him.
"Thank you for the forewarning." Sona turned to him for a moment before opening the door.
"It's simple etiquette." He assured her.
They left.