It's come to my attention that I actually don't know how to count.
I made a mistake. If Gen was in his first year, and is about to end his third, then that meanst that Diodora was in a coma for 2+ years, not 3+. Honestly that's a bit embarrassing, but I'll correct the chapters later. At some point. For now, just know that we're technically a year after canon theoretically starts.
The devil's warmth confused Yuzu. At first she couldn't even process why such a prominent devil would be able to give such desperate hugs and why he'd cry on Yuzu's shoulder of all places. The silver hair didn't tell her anything, and she didn't get a good enough view of him… No. That would be a lie. The truth would be that she didn't want to make the connection, that she refused it until she got to greet the man and was studied by him a bit better.
It had been quite awkward. The image of her mother had been hidden in the deepest part of Yuzu's mind, away from the tide of information she had to deal with. Even before taking the role of Stain's makeshift master. The mental image of her parents was something she didn't want to taint, that should've given her comfort whenever she needed it. Like an idol would to a believer, a photo to a soldier. Yuzu had neither that represented them, so all she could do was to hide away her memories somewhere in her mind. And only go back to them when she needed the strength.
And now… This.
"I'm sorry." Diehauser Belial refused to let her go, voice broken and in serious need of comfort. And yet, Yuzu couldn't help feeling a bit numb. A bit out of her body in all of this "I should've been there for you. I should've looked, searched. If I had a single clue…"
Yuzu couldn't breathe that well because of the man's muscles pressing against her nose, but her fight-or-flight reaction had her tapping a bit on her senjutsu. Taking from the world what she needed, slowly, discreetly. She shouldn't be doing that, testing her powers like that while she got reunited with someone from her family. Someone that so obviously cared about her. But she couldn't overcome her instincts.
Not anymore.
"Lord Diehauser…" Yuzu's voice made him release her, a pained smile twisting his features further where the effort from breaking down.
"I… Right. I'm just a stranger to you, aren't I?"
Yuzu took a moment to weigh her options, but ended up nodding in the end. She didn't know how old this devil truly was, and no matter how much she picked at the similarities with her mother, his words were true all the same. She didn't know him, and the tale he had for Yuzu was just that: A tale. One of a better time, perhaps. A promise of what couldn't be. It didn't matter.
When she didn't have anywhere to go, when the world turned against her, the Crossroad Hounds found her. Not house Belial, not even because this devil was the head. She hadn't actually found her team like an actual home, most of the team's members like Miyuki were her age. They dealt with their own baggage, and did odd jobs to sustain themselves. Intervening whenever they found another like themselves in need of them.
They were spread thin, no matter how old the small organization actually ended up being. No matter how Gielos Dantalion's tome had warped their goals over the years.
"That's fine. It's what I deserve." He closed his eyes like Yuzu's reaction was some kind of divine punishment or something like that. It made her feel even stranger, like all of this wasn't about her. But instead, about him "Rather, I'm glad you're not so quick to forgive. It's not the way devils do things."
Yuzu frowned.
"There's nothing to forgive. You and I have no connection whatsoever." Yuzu shrugged his hands off her shoulders, tilting her head now that she felt far away enough from the situation to act more calmly "You didn't wrong me, Lord Diehauser. I'm too young for that. And being unaware of the truth does not mean you wronged my mother, so don't try to make me take her place to ease your conscience."
She reached out, grabbing the man by his cheeks. Forcing him to actually, honestly look at Yuzu for herself instead of the child of his lost relative.
From the beginning, this whole situation had felt illogical. The sudden reveal that should was a devil princess not unlike Diodora felt right out of a badly written child's book, one that hadn't even seemed to go in that direction. Yet, upon further consideration, it now let Yuzu understand a bit of why Stain hadn't eaten her back when she met Diodora and his Queen. She understood, in a way, the logic behind letting her live and demand things. Why a high-class devil that didn't seem to care for his own kind had chosen her in particular.
It also made her think of his promise, and the idea that he knew enough things to just let Yuzu jump in social standing with a few words made her shiver. Under the light of everything that she had learned, Diodora Astaroth had to be eliminated. He didn't behave as foretold, he knew too much. And the appearance of Fate Weaver fell better within the framework they had been taught.
And yet, Yuzu did not want the Crossroad Hounds to fall in line under Fate Weaver's banner. Hell, she didn't even want them to get involved at all. She had conceded with Miyuki and a few others to control Stain, but even then she'd made sure to make it complicated to fetch information regarding Fate Weaver and Star Seeker. Especially Star Seeker.
"Listen, and listen well. I understand blood ties us, but I will not have anyone look down on me because of my past. I will not have you feel pity for me. If you do, then there's nothing else for us to discuss. Let us part ways and forget this happened, or leave it as a beautiful memory." Yuzu stared straight into the devil's eyes. She didn't have any reason to play nice with him, not in this way at least. She wouldn't, couldn't, play therapist to someone else for her own mother's death.
Besides, what about her father? That Diehauser Belial regretted Yuzu's mother's death was nice and all, but who else but Yuzu mourned her father's death?
"That's… That's not it. I suffer for my own shortcomings. I didn't mean to offend you in any way, Miyuzuin."
Yuzu's eyes narrowed.
Of course.
"You understand you can't call me that, right?" Yuzu insisted, apparently changing the topic but still dead serious about drawing that line. About making him understand that she wouldn't just accept him like this "If my heritage comes to light, I'll be killed."
"No. Not if I…"
"Diehauser Belial." Yuzu interrupted "You've come out of nowhere, telling me a story different from the things I remember. And you ask me to trust you?"
Yuzu shook her head. It'd be so easy to let this devil in, to believe him because of how truly in sorrow he looked. How something that affected her so much had seemingly affected him so badly.
So Miyuzuin simply hardened her heart, sucked it up and stared straight at the devil's eyes.
This wasn't about him, this was about the proof she had asked of another devil. One that had been way too pleased to stay trapped behind a magic prison. And now she knew why: It'd prevent her from kicking his ass for playing with something so delicate as Yuzu's family ties.
"Yes, you're right." The devil looked to the floor, hands turning to fists as he struggled to keep himself from doing something stupid "It's not fair to you if I simply try to impose my selfishness like this. It's the exact reason why Cleria is…"
Again, Yuzu felt like he was indeed a kindred spirit. It still didn't dissuade her from her decision.
"Mom is dead." Yuzu repeated, feeling a bit dizzy from suppressing such an important part of her "There's no getting around it… She didn't do anything. She just fell in love, and although I hated them for it for the longest time; I think the world was unfair to them. To us."
Yuzu smiled thinly, almost with real emotion in spite of how empty she felt.
"We might only be family in the broadest of senses, but if your intentions are true then I want to request your help, on my terms. Help me create a world where Masaomi Yaegaki and Cleria Belial could've fallen in love without fear." After all… What good was being heartbroken if it didn't get her anywhere?
He didn't get released immediately, that would've been too easy. Instead, he let the Gremory mull over his very small favor. Hearing Baraqiel out, and then spending the rest of the time practicing with his demonic power and doing some physical exercises. Trying to get his body back in shape or at least get to a presentable state. One that wouldn't have him struggle to stay standing after a few minutes.
Spending time like this wasn't the most interesting or mentally stimulating way to do so, but Diodora didn't have a lot of options when he could only move as far as the light barrier allowed him to.
Okay, he could've tried to break the barrier. But given that it had to be made by either Serafall, Azazel, or Michael; Diodora suspected his possibilities weren't good enough to run the risk of tripping an alarm or something like that.
"You're an absolute asshole." Miyuzuin's voice reached him as soon as she entered the room, voice high-tuned but firm. Without breaking.
Diodora smirked.
"But you already knew that."
"I did, yeah." Miyuzuin's expression didn't change, she just crossed her arms "That was still very low, even for you."
Diodora shook his head.
"You asked me to show you how legit I am." Diodora shrugged "I was a bit desperate, and out of options. Please forgive me if all I did was break your heart."
Miyuzuin scoffed.
"You've made a point, though." She started, letting a long sigh escape her while she dropped her arms "I get it. But I came here to tell you that I'm not taking the easy option, I'm not joining devil high society just because you presented the opportunity in a silver plate. That'd defeat the point of what I'm trying to do."
Diodora tilted his head.
"That was an option, yes. But I wasn't thinking so far."
"Right. You and your half plans are hilariously open-ended." Miyuzuin chuckled.
"I make complete plans." Diodora frowned, genuinely hurt by the comment.
"Nah. I've analyzed the evidence for a long time. You have a tendency to sort of work on pieces of plans and just wing it on the other half." Miyuzuin looked away "You know so much that it works, but that doesn't mean that you make complete plans."
"Thinking that a plan can survive contact with the enemy is foolish." Diodora countered.
"I've lived my whole life as a mercenary." Miyuzuin reminded him "Don't lecture me on how to plan ahead, you'll only make yourself look bad."
Diodora scoffed.
"With that said, do tell me what you were thinking." Miyuzuin crossed her arms again.
"Not a whole lot. I presented you an opportunity, nothing more and nothing less." Diodora smiled "It's up to you how you take advantage of it. You're very smart, so no matter what you'll probably make good use of it."
Miyuzuin scoffed.
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Yet you came back." Diodora nodded to himself.
"That I did." Miyuzuin looked back to the place she came from, no one stood there "I have my own reasons."
"Everyone does." Diodora pointed out "Then? To what do I owe your visit? Don't get me wrong, it makes me happy that you make time for me. But I'm guessing this time it's not just to hang out for a bit."
Miyuzuin nodded and sat cross-legged in front of the barrier, right on the floor. Diodora couldn't help mimicking it.
"Do you know how this world ends?"
The question took Diodora a bit by surprise.
"Yes." He answered without hesitation.
Miyuzuin nodded.
"Do you think we're still on time to stop it?" She followed suit, and Diodora remembered the thing with the holy grail.
"There's a way, although it'd be better if we just averted the awakening of the beast altogether." Diodora shook his head then chuckled "Don't think the Miracle Children can just wish it away either. That's why it's so crucial to cripple the Khaos Brigade."
"I see." Miyuzuin sighed "Anything else?"
"A mission, if you will." Diodora ignored the question and gave an unrelated answer "Take Stain with you, I need you to retrieve something and give it to Yuuto."
Miyuzuin frowned.
"The Three Factions will probably do enough damage to get the Khaos Brigade out of hiding. The info Stain had would cripple the organization from the ground up, and that's without mentioning what pulling Stain out would do." Diodora mused, placing a hand on his chin "But that's for later. I want to do that once they plan for their big debut push. For now, we should take out key players as much as possible. I want you to do this for me."
"And why Stain?"
"Because I need you to take on the Hero Faction. You'll be stealing Sacred Gears so we can get them on our side." Diodora smiled "Let Stain do it if you swore off killing, but I want this particular Sacred Gear on Yuuto's hands. It'll make things easier."
Miyuzuin looked distrustful again.
"Oh, c'mon. Haven't I shown that I'm on your side?" Diodora placed a hand on his chest, faux offense on his face.
"You'll have to excuse me, it's a learned trait." Miyuzuin didn't look all that sorry, though. It made Diodora smile a bit.
"Yeah. If you were swayed that easily I would not be able to trust you."
"Well, thank you."
"No problem." Diodora cringed as he felt a stinging sensation on his back. It'd seem that he hit his limit again "Anything you need, you can probably get it from Stain. Just gang up on Jeanne D'Arc and steal her Sacred Gear. Give it back to Yuuto, simple as that."
"Doesn't he have a Sacred Gear already?"
"Yeah. Ah… Use the ability to steal Sacred Gears for yourself, if you want. I'd hate to think you're lacking such a convenient tool."
Miyuzuin shook her head.
"And if Stain can't do it?"
Diodora considered it for a moment.
"Right. Almost forgot." He covered his eyes "Damn, this place is seriously messing with my head."
Miyuzuin didn't seem to like what he said.
"Raynare. I asked Baraqiel to make a fallen angel called Raynare swing by Kuoh Town at some point. You can probably get the spell from her." Diodora scratched his head.
"You're making connections all over the place, huh." She didn't look surprised, but Diodora could tell from her intonation that she hadn't expected him to be able to do much either.
"What can I say? I'm charismatic like that." He showed her a winning smile "Be careful with the Hero Faction. The True Longinus is amidst their ranks."
"Wha—Ugh." Miyuzuin showed her teeth "Well, thank you for the warning. What am I supposed to do against the literal strongest Longinus?"
"Nothing." Diodora looked at her like she had grown mad "That's why I told you to get Stain first. You obviously don't fight someone so much stronger than you. We'll get it later, for now we keep it small. Little things that start adding up."
After all, Diodora didn't know much about the Hero Faction. So the way he saw it, those Sacred Gears were just wasted opportunities all around. They'd be better off on his side of the playground.
Miyuzuin covered her eyes.
"Alright." She sighed without showing her upper face "I'll bite. I was meaning to test some things anyway."
"Your influence over the Emperor?" Diodora asked with a tilt of his head.
"Go to hell." Miyuzuin chuckled humorlessly.
Diodora waited for her answer.
"Yeah."
"You're an amazing girl, Miyuzuin." Diodora smiled fondly "I'm glad we can understand each other."
