NMHA Ch. 5 - Dealing with the Devil
If Luna was told a week before that she'd be having tea with the Devil himself, in the past of a world that was created for a light novel series that's not hentai solely because its author would get in trouble with his publisher, the bodyjumper would have asked what sort of drugs that person was smoking.
Not even about the isekai and the Devil, but that she'd be having tea in the first place. Luna would rather just take a bottle of root beer and call it a day.
She had a sweet tooth, sue her.
That being said the brunette had no intention of being rude, so as she lifted the teacup to her lips and took a sip, she glanced down at it in mild surprise as she found herself approving of the taste.
Apparently her surprise was enough to warrant a glance from her parents. "Is something the matter, dear?" Thelastia asked, though her voice was still a little hoarse. From the sounds of it the force of Luna's first magical attack was enough to give her breathing issues for a little while.
On one hand, she felt pretty bad for that; Luna was the one who suggested getting started with her powers after all.
But on the other, her mother had been rather eager to go straight to sparring, and even now she ached with the bruises.
She could only imagine what color the bruise caused by that force push was. Could be anywhere from purple to yellow, though.
A vindictive part of her was rather pleased that, even if she got kicked around Luna, had managed to give as much as she got, and in a single blow no less.
Lunarunn shook her head, both to allay her mother's concern and to clear her own thoughts of the tangent she'd embarked on. "As a human, I was never the fondest of tea. I'm rather impressed with this blend, though. My compliments to the brewer."
That seemed to put a smile on her mother's face, even if Loedrick still seemed rather displeased with the rather blunt way that his daughter had ended the spar.
"More of a coffee person yourself, then?" The Devil lifted his own teacup to his lips, taking a small sip while his eyes bore down on the bodyjumper.
She smiled and shook her head again. "Nah, too bitter. If I need caffeine it's either coming from chocolate or cola."
"So you still have the same tastes despite having found yourself in a new form." If the Crimson Maou seemed displeased by Lunarunn's taste preferences, he didn't show it, instead displaying a genuine curiosity about her condition.
Granted, he didn't know the full picture, but it still put a warmth in her chest that someone was willing to learn about her, now that Sol and Luna were just... Luna.
The daughter took a sip of her tea again, eyes on the surface of the drink before she set it down.
"Not... precisely?" The brunette corrected him, glancing up. "Yeah, it's true my taste preferences are the same, but the scope might be different. I think Luna was more used to subtler flavors, because I had an apple at the hospital and it just exploded in my mouth. Figuratively, of course."
She paused, tilting her head as her gaze shifted upward further, now directed the ceiling above Sirzechs. "Though from what I hear about Bael apples, I have to wonder if that's just how expertly nurtured they are."
Play to their pride and they'll be more amenable in turn. And judging by the looks of satisfaction on her parents' faces - even Loedrick's, though he was clearly still trying to cast the look of the disapproving father - she was succeeding.
Sirzechs, though, was a different matter entirely. His smile was a bit too refined, a bit too small.
That wasn't a smile from being complimented, even indirectly, but rather a knowing one. He'd caught on immediately.
...Wait. How did she guess that so quickly?
"True, they're considered a delicacy even to Devils, I can imagine a human would be rather taken aback by the flavor," he agreed magnanimously, before setting his own teacup on the table between he and the family.
Then Sirzechs leaned forward, clasping his fingers together even as his elbows resting against his legs. His expression was still friendly, but there was a hint of steel to it now.
Luna figured he was ready to get to the point now, and nodded once in turn, her own expression turning serious.
"You mentioned that I'll be seeing a lot of attention soon enough. Isn't it against medical practice for doctors to disclose the status of their patients?"
"Not when the individual in question was all but declared dead," the Crimson Maou countered. "You do have to remember that the old Luna performed a ritual that stripped her of her soul. Ajuka is a genius among geniuses, but he's not able to recreate a lost soul. That sort of power lies with the Biblical God alone."
'Huh. I was preparing for the pain, but apparently just referencing good old Yahweh-'
Her hand went to her temples as the metaphorical spike lanced through her head.
'Oh, there's the pain. Dear agony, just let go of me...'
"You alright, Luna?" Her mother leaned in, furrowing her brow.
"Yeah, just... realizing I have to get used to avoiding so much as thinking Big G's Judaic name."
"'Big G'?" Sirzechs and Loedrick both echoed, the latter with a deadpan and the former with an expression approaching glee.
"...Let's just get on with this." Lunarunn rubbed away the remnants of the Divine System's immediate retribution, before continuing. "Okay, so basically my still being at the hospital was just a formality at that point, and my going to hospice was to pull the plug?"
A nod from the redhead in the room. "And the fact that you somehow reawakened despite being effectively dead means that you've become a modern-day Lazarus. That you've done so bearing a different soul means that, unlike most Reincarnated Devils, you're not a human turned into a Devil by way of Evil Piece, but rather a pureblooded Devil who now bears a human soul. Natural reincarnation, rather than artificial.
"Once that news gets out, your uniqueness will make you the subject of many a curious Devil. Ajuka already has the scientific community handled by taking you under his wing personally, but the general populace and the Pillars will be a far different beast to tackle."
"And that's where you come in?" Luna already knew the answer, but she decided to humor him.
Sirzechs nodded. "And that's where I come in. As clever as you may be, I know the political landscape well enough to have reached the top. I imagine that Devils of all stripes, from all walks of life, will test you, and see if you are worth taking into their Peerage or otherwise under their wing."
"With all due respect Lord Lucifer, fuck that." At the gobsmacked expressions on her parents, Luna knew she'd need to explain her blunt declaration quickly. "As useful as becoming part of a Peerage could be, keeping my personal autonomy as intact as possible is way higher than sucking up to some arrogant ass for clout. I can't grow if I'm chained down by being the servant of someone who I don't agree with, or is less capable than I intend to become."
The Devil's brow lifted, and he gazed at her with a neutral expression. "Then it is all the more important that you have a good reputation, lest others leverage their own to run you ragged. News of your miraculous revival will turn you into a celebrity overnight, and I think we both know just how eager the media is to dig its claws into any speck of dirt that can be found on someone in the limelight."
"That's if I end up in the limelight." At that, Luna reached out to take another sip of her tea.
"You say that as though you have an idea on how to avoid it."
"You said it yourself; you're here to help me both with the political and public relationship storm that will whip up around me when it comes out that I'm a Natural Reincarnated." She set the cup back down. "And considering that you're as close to the Devil of the scriptures as I'm probably going to see, I'll eat my shorts if you don't have a heavy influence over the media."
Her gaze returned to the impassive Devil across from her. "I can imagine that either suppressing the news of my revival, legally sealing it, or otherwise downplaying the circumstances is easily within your power."
"I could do any of those, yes." The admission came easily, as Sirzechs broke into a similarly easy smile, leaning back against his seat. "But why should I? Your circumstances could do quite a lot in adding pressure to the Old Satan Faction. Showing them that even a pureblooded Devil can become Reincarnated and prosper would certainly rake a number of their arguments regarding that topic over the coals."
She glanced at her parents, going over what she knew of the world itself and what she could have learned while in the library. This was another test, wasn't it? He was asking her to convince him, someone who supposedly held all the cards, to go along with her request.
Was Sirzechs taking a note out of Ajuka's book here? Was it the other way around? Or was it more a Devil thing in general, to prod others around them to see what potential they bear?
Whatever it was, it was clear that the Crimson Maou was sizing Luna up. Perhaps in a more blatant way than he almost certainly could get away with, but regardless there was one fact that explained the discussion they were having thus far.
'He wants to see what I can do.'
Lunarunn Bael smiled thinly. "For one, you seem to be under the impression that I will, as you put it, 'prosper'. Notoriety like my status would give me a big boost in attention, yeah, but fame's fleeting unless you're extremely so. I could just wait out the media coverage and fade back into obscurity. At which point your talk about prospering would backfire, since I would simply be doing the same as I had before or worse."
She lifted her index and middle fingers, making a 'V' with them. "I could also simply not perform to the standards set by Devil society. I may pack a punch for someone with no fighting experience, yet my abilities may plateau in the higher Middle-class zone. Delaying the reveal would give us both time to determine just how much I can grow with these yet-unknown powers."
The brunette daughter frowned, seemingly thinking something over before outstretching her thumb. "And finally, I have... information. Last I slept I had... what felt like visions of some sort. They felt like dreams, but at the same time they felt even more real than I do now. It's... it's hard to explain."
While the first two had Sirzechs nodding slowly as he digested Luna's arguments, the third piqued his interest, causing a brow to lift even as his smile widened. "Oh? You say you've had visions? And just what did they entail?"
She paused again, closing her eyes to take a deep breath.
'Well... here goes a big play.'
If she managed to convince the Devil himself of this, then Luna was in a really good spot going forward.
"I don't know what exactly it means, but the visions themselves are more of a blur this point than anything else. Yet, there's something in my mind that's refused to go away, those images given verbal form. After seeing you though and reading up, and meeting the thing the old Luna fed her soul to, it's making more sense now."
The other three occupants in the room watched carefully now as her eyes opened.
"...It goes like this: 'the mother of the dawn soon bears a seed of oblivion. That seed shall flower, and in doing so capture the eye of Domination Incarnate. Even as the world surrounding crumbles, Oblivion and Domination will bloom into full.'"
"..." It seemed Sirzechs was no longer smiling, his face bearing a grim expression as he stared Luna down. Gauging her. Reading her.
The Crimson Satan did so for several seconds, letting silence reign for a half minute. For Luna, who was starting to sweat from the intensity of his gaze, it felt much longer.
His eyes slid shut, allowing the brunette to let some of the tension flow out of her muscles. "You speak boldly, Lunarunn. I will commend you for your wit and audacity, but your 'vision' implies... much. Too much for me to take your words lightly."
"...I figured that 'dawn' meant 'morningstar', which is the term for the original Lucifer. So when I met you, the pieces started to click."
The new Lucifer's eyes opened to a flat gaze. "Oddly convenient, that. So you're saying you may find yourself holding potentially critical information and will only disclose it if I provide you with benefits?"
That tension from before came crashing back, with interest.
'That implies blackmail and treason. Worse, that implies threatening a Gremory's family. Nope. Nope nope nope. Shift the paradigm now!'
"I-I'm saying that these 'visions', if they end up being true, could be incredibly useful for you and yours. As long as we work together and help each other out, which includes delaying the release of my resurrection."
Her voice lowered. "Don't get me wrong, I want to help how I can. You seem like good people even if you're the Devil himself. But I'm not going to supplicate myself to your plans without guarantee that you'll help me with my own in turn. All I ask is that you delay revealing me until you're able to confirm whether or not your mother actually is pregnant, and we can discuss more afterward. If I turn out to be wrong, you're welcome to make use of me however you want."
Silence reigned once more, Luna finding it impossible to refrain from swallowing as she kept her gaze as level with the Crimson Satan as possible. Didn't stop her from becoming nervous at seeing herself on the business end of the normally friendly Maou.
Finally, Sirzechs rose, keeping his gaze on the now-blinking Luna before finally speaking. "You've made your point. You wish to have time to learn the ropes before you have to enter the ring? You may have it."
A smile started to grow on her face until it took a complete one-eighty, as the air seemingly turned toxic and the family - parents included - found themselves on the floor, struggling to even breathe much less look back up at Sirzechs.
"One important lesson that I wish to impart on you though; I do not take kindly to my family being leveraged against me, even in negotiations." His voice was low, slow, smooth, even, and sibilant, which just made what was clearly an expression of his ire all the more terrifying. "My having doffed the Gremory name does not mean I won't protect the ones who raised me avariciously. I'll overlook your transgression this time, if only because you didn't know. But if you try something like this again, I won't be nearly so forgiving."
His head tilted sideways slightly, similarly narrowed eyes bearing down at the girl on the other side of the table, eyes having turned colder than ice. "Do I make myself clear?"
Luna would have said something prior to his final question, but was a bit indisposed trying to not black out, though the way that her surroundings were blurry and her entire body was engulfed by horror so intense her heart felt on the brink of rupturing from fear made it rather difficult. Regardless, she was still able to hear the Crimson Satan just fine, and found herself focusing in on that.
Oh gods... oh gods it hurts... fucking... it hurts...
All she had to do was say 'yes'. All she had to do was rasp out an agreement, and this would stop.
It was at times like this that Luna wished she could stop running her mouth, even as tears of pain started rolling slowly down her face.
"Then..." she gasped, feeling acid roll down her airways into her lungs. "then we're... on the same... wavelength. I... said it... before... didn't I? I... want... to help... help you... and yours."
Were it not for the desperate attempts to breathe from the branch family as the Satan loomed down on the youngest, deliberating his verdict, the room would be quiet again. Long seconds passed, as the bodyjumper returned to her desperate writhing, slowly but surely breaking down now.
Lunarunn nearly sobbed in relief when the pressure lifted, if only marginally, still pinned to the ground by the pressure Sirzechs was exuding.
"You have an odd way of showing it, then."
"I..." She breathed in, still a huge exercise in and of itself, even if the brunette was no longer choking on the very air around her. "Would you believe me... if I said it was an act of good faith? I didn't have to say anything."
"You didn't," he agreed. "Yet you did. And I've been around for a lot longer than you have, so I can tell when someone has ulterior motives."
The rest of the pressure subsided, and Luna rose from where she'd collapsed, wiping away the tears that had leaked out with a scowl before looking over at her parents. They... seemed to be in similar condition as her, though the way that Loedrick was eyeing her suggested she'd be in for a massive dressing-down once Sirzechs took his leave.
Still. That overpowering strength. The vast gap between his power and her's, and the fact that she knew, she knew, that such strength was Sirzechs weakening himself to be perceived, it all... excited her.
More specifically, it tickled at a comptetitive streak within her that rose up only rarely, the urge to be able to at least put up a good fight before going down. That level of strength, so beyond reason that the Crimson Maou is on the same list of power as the Hindu god of destruction, the embodiment of infinity, and the embodiment of dreams?
'I want that!'
"Just because I have ulterior motives doesn't make what I said any less true." Luna wiped her eyes again, smiling wryly as she worked air back into her lungs. "Chances are I'll have information that you can use if this happens again, and I think it will. Having the ear of one of the most powerful individuals in the world, much less the Underworld, really would help out in my own 'nefarious' plots too."
Sirzechs sighed, his serious expression returning to a more amiable one, lifting his hands in a light shrug. "You're still sticking with quid quo pro? Alright, alright, I can accept that, especially since you're not wrong."
"Well, if we share blood, even distantly, wouldn't that mean we could just be family helping each other out? Doesn't have to be purely professional."
The not-so-innocent smile that grew on Luna's face as she responded was matched by an amused one from Sirzechs. "Brushing the very same place I very explicitly threatened you not to push? Hah, the cheek on you."
The brunette half-expected him to chastise her for it, but she'd take amusement from the Crimson Satan. "Then I take it we've come to an accord?"
"Supposed prophecies from a Natural Reincarnated Devil in exchange for a holdover on the press release of her reincarnation and a little bit of my time?" Another chuckle. "You do realize if you wanted more time to get used to being a Reincarnated Devil you could have asked, right? Didn't need to go the whole nine yards and play your whole hand."
'Then it's a good thing I've got more up my sleeve, huh?'
Lunarunn just smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "I can't make it big if I don't play big when the opportunity presents itself, if there's one thing I've learned about politics. And since you're here, can you blame me for taking the chance?"
"Hah!" The Crimson Satan barked. "Ajuka did say you had a spine, but it's another thing entirely to see that fire in your eye. You've got ambitions you want seen through, don't you?"
A nod. "Damn straight."
"Then from one ambitious Devil to another, I'll bite. It sounds like you plan on revealing yourself later on regardless."
Another nod. "Mhm. I just don't want my status to overshadow my name, at least not right away. I'd rather be known by my own merit before anything else."
"Another reason why I'm willing to hedge my bets," Sirzechs affirmed as he gave a congenial nod. "It'll make your grand reveal all the more impactful."
"Why eat the chicken now when you can have it later and the eggs it lays in the meanwhile?"
The two shared a knowing grin at that, as Luna continued. "But pardon me if I'd rather not be eaten alive, y'know?"
Another nod from Sirzechs. "Heh, I think I like you. I can already tell you're gonna go places."
He held a hand out. "I'll make sure it isn't an early grave for the second time as long as we have this little correspondence going."
Lunarunn reached out with her own hand, albeit somewhat nervously at first, before firming to take his hand and shake. Strong grip, to indicate firmness of will.
His own hand was similarly firm, and after a single shake the outstretched arms returned to each individual's side.
"So! With that out of the way, I should return home." Sirzechs's cheeriness was rather abrupt, but considering who it was, his being so sanguine was a given. "It was nice meeting you, Luna. Like I said earlier, I can definitely see what drew Ajuka's interest now."
"Should I expect you to show up every so often like him?" she asked in turn, smiling wryly.
"I'm afraid not; Ajuka's definitely the smartest of us, but there's a reason why I'm the face of the Maou. It's not just because of my dashing good looks, even if they do play a part."
That got a chuckle from Luna. "Could have fooled me."
"Now that's just rude." Though given the childish tone and the grin on his own face, Sirzechs wasn't bothered in the slightest. "Thelastia, Loedrick. Thank you both for introducing me to your daughter. I apologize for the intrusion and my expressing my power."
"It's quite forgiven. I do think that it will give Luna much to think about next time she's about to let her mouth run without a filter." Loedrick gave Luna a particularly pointed look.
"Ha... ha... I'm gonna get chewed out like nobody's business, aren't I?"
A nod from her father, mimicking one of Luna's own actions earlier. "'Damn straight'. As you put it."
"Then I shall leave you three to it. You all have a good rest of your evening, yes?" With that, Sirzechs made to excuse himself. "I look forward to working with you, Luna, for however long that might be."
"Same. I will be in your care." A bowing of her head from the daughter of the distant branch family as her way of farewell, and the Crimson Devil took his leave.
'Well. Time to face the music.'
"So, what's your verdict?" Ajuka asked, lifting a brow as his friend took a sip of wine courteously provided by the silver-haired maid to the side.
"Either she's got no filter, or she's got the will to express herself in spades," said friend responded amiably, setting the glass on the table. "And while she does seem to be a touch reckless, it's not the kind I would necessarily call dangerous. So long as that recklessness is harnessed into drive before it runs out of control, I really can see her going far. You weren't kidding about the determination she had to grow beyond what she is now."
As the maid shifted, the scientist lifted a brow at Sirzechs, letting his comment hang in the air before speaking again. "But...?"
"But I got the same feeling you did. For someone who hasn't known of my particular existence for long, she was unusually assured in pushing her boundaries." Sirzechs frowned, lifting a hand to his chin to stroke it thoughtfully. "Yet outside of the implications that she'd withhold information that could lead to disaster for my own - after she disclosed having 'visions' - and my subsequent impressing upon her just what would happen if she did so, Luna was almost too comfortable speaking with me."
Ajuka inclined his head. "And what do you make of those 'visions', as she put it?"
"I don't buy it." The Maou lifted the glass to eye level before continuing, gazing at the scarlet liquid within. "Her 'prediction' isn't vague enough to be a real prophecy. I'd call it a story, or even a straight-up lie, but her words are not without merit. Mother and father have been trying for a second child for decades, but for someone unaware of how Devils are infertile compared to humans Luna wouldn't be aware of that. Yet she spoke as though mother will be pregnant, and soon."
"There's something else going on then."
"If there isn't, I'll eat my cape. Particularly the words she included in said 'vision'. Specifically, she said that 'the seed of oblivion will capture the eye of domination incarnate'. Not just an 'incarnation of domination', but the very concept itself in physical form."
The maid and researcher stilled, both of them staring at Sirzechs with widened eyes.
"Are you... sure about that?" Ajuka pried, blinking a few times as he got over the blindsiding revelation
"The way Luna said it was completely intentional; I was reminded of the times I've rehearsed speeches in my head," the Crimson Satan intoned, setting the glass back down. "In other words, my theoretical brother or sister will garner the attention of the Red Dragon Emperor, albeit in a good way according to her 'vision'."
His mouth split into a wide grin. "If nothing else, I can be assured that at some point they will have a powerful ally. I can only imagine the strides they'll make with that kind of power at their call~!"
The maid coughed into her fist politely, stopping Sirzechs before he went into la-la land over a supposed sibling.
Ajuka Beelzebub breathed out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Considering she supposedly had no knowledge of the supernatural before being reincarnated into it, Lunarunn certainly seems to know how to draw attention to herself."
"Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times is no coincidence at all," the maid finally spoke, inclining her head. "I am confident that this Lunarunn knows much more than she is letting on."
"At the very least, she seems intent on helping us. Even pinned to the ground Luna insisted she wanted to aid our cause." Sirzechs swirled the liquid in the class before lowering it to take another drink.
"You sound impressed," the Green Maou commented.
A comment that got a chuckle from the Crimson Satan. "How could I not be? The first thing I see her doing is blasting her mother clear into the sky with a burst of raw force when she'd been kicked around the entire training session prior to that one moment. Add her unique circumstances with the wit and will she showed me, us both really, and Luna reminds me of... well."
He trailed off, though both Grayfia and Ajuka knew what he meant by that.
"So even despite her secrets, Luna's an ally in the making?" the green-haired Devil guessed, to which Sirzechs nodded.
Then when the grin on the Lucifer's face turned playful, Ajuka sighed and Sirzechs's wife face-palmed whilst doing the same.
"Alright, what did you do to the poor girl Sirzechs?"
"Me? Nothing, aside from the whole pressing her and her parents to the ground with nothing but a fraction of my presence. Just thinking back on what she got me to agree to."
"Sirzechs." Now his tone turned warning.
"Alright, alright, since you seem so intent on knowing what I did and didn't do, I'll share." Sirzechs waved Ajuka's growing concern off. "So I agreed to not release Luna's 'reincarnation' to the public until later, and we came to a mutual pact to aid each other when we can reasonably do so."
"Right, and?"
"She never said anything about preparations for when I release the news though~"
"Come, my cute apprentice! Magical Girl Levia-tan has so much to show you~!"
"W-wait, hold on a second, I still have books I need to finish up!"
"Those dusty old things can wait, the night is still young! If you spend your years cooped up inside you'll never sparkle!"
"What do sparkling and learning how to be a celebrity have anything to do with each other!?"
"Silly Luna-tan! They have everything to do with each other!"
"Yeah, well, it's also three in the morning Serafall!"
"Which means we'll be able to see your sparkle all the better, what better time is there to learn than now~? So let's get going already!"
"No! No! My books! My reading! My sleep! My me time! Sirzechs, you bastaaaaaaard!"
Immediately the other Maou understood where his friend was going with that comment, and he shook his head. "And it's times like this that I remember that you didn't take the mantle of the Great Deceiver for no reason."
"I never claimed to be on the side of saints. Quite the opposite rather, if I recall properly," the Lucifer agreed, grinning widely.
A/N:
Yeah, this chapter was a lot later to come out than the others were. I got caught up in the Christmas rush, then the games afterward, and just a whole bunch of little things that kept me from adding to the chapter. Can't really defend myself there, but chapter's out now so I hope it was worth the wait!
Things will start picking up from here, now that the pieces are more or less set. Luna's got her powers to work on, the three main Maou are acquainted with her, plans are being put into place, and so the games begin.
FFnet's story tracking statistics have been kind of messed up the past few days, so I haven't really been able to keep track of the traffic recently. But 80+ followers not even a month into the fic's debut on FFnet is definitely nothing to sniff at. Thanks, everyone! Be sure to leave a review if you have anything you'd like to weigh in on, too. It does me good to hear what others have to say.
