NMHA Ch. 14 - ...and Into the Fire


A/N -

Normally I keep these at the end of the chapter, but this deserves a header.

I'm disappointed that one reader thought that this was going to devolve into a breeding fantasy. I don't pull my punches, but that's a bit much. This is my attempt at a semi-realistic parody of the original show, not a power fantasy. Naturally, the main character's going to wind up in unpleasant places, the bloodline reveal being one of them. I can't even say I'm into that sort of thing either, which makes the thought of it even more ridiculous to me.

If I'm going to write smut, then I'm going to do so at the right time. This, is definitely not one of those times.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter.


Lunarunn Bael's blood turned to ice.

Her gaze zeroed in on the form of Ajuka Beelzebub standing on that podium, something in her chest feeling tight, and not in a good way either.

Did... did that really just happen?

No, there was no way he just said that, and turned her into fucking bait, again!

How did she not see this coming earlier? Ruval's interest in her should have been a dead fucking giveaway!

Was there something she could have done to change this declaration?

("Even called in a favor he'd been holding over my head for ages...")

No. No, there wasn't. She'd already tied her fate to Ajuka and Sirzechs from the get-go. No matter what she did, the brunette was going to be thrown to the wolves like this.

'Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck me, I'm so screwed over now it's not even funny.'

If she were still a guy, then she wouldn't be quite so concerned over this.

But as Luna had quite extensively proved to herself over the past years, she most definitely was not.

Devils respected power, but visible power was still more easily achieved by men than women. And Luna's power, while impressive, was definitely the subtler sort. It wouldn't be easy to climb to a point where others wouldn't try their hands at obtaining a new Devil bloodline.

Lunarunn knew just how big of a target Ajuka painted on her back with that announcement, so to call her pissed would be an understatement. Metaphorically, he tied her hands and bent her over the table for the entire Underworld to have a shot at.

She could imagine it now, the Devils that would try and court with her in this coming dance. The humble brags, the impressions they'll try making, the attempts to woo her... And then there would be the attempts to outright impose the idea on her that she would be better just being a bedroom ornament, ready to spread her legs and bear the young of whichever Devil decided to take her and make her theirs, by right of conquest if need be.

Because that was what Devils did, wasn't it? They took what they wanted, and from all the looks she was getting now, there were a great many that wanted her.

Something empty and needy flared down below, followed by the tightness in her chest turning into a foul, black burning, a potent toxin that raced up to her mind and inflamed it with apoplexy.

Luna would rather face down a host of angels instead of letting her body dictate how she felt about this change of events, because even if the thought of being pressured like that was something she could get behind in the right circumstances, the context of it now was so far beyond something she approved of that the brunette's own body betraying her only fanned the flames further.

("Devils will be Devils will be Devils.")

How could she have deluded herself that she was any different? That she'd get preferential treatment? Because she was special? Because she had a special ability? Because she was friends with the top brass?

No, the Devil worked by becoming your friend, didn't he? Someone to trust, someone you could believe in, and then throw you away when it became convenient.

Maybe they were more human, but they were still Devils.

How stupid of her to think they wouldn't fuck her over like that.

It was actually kind of funny, now that she thought about it.

What a joke.

What a sick, twisted excuse of a joke.

'Ha. Ha ha ha...'

"M-miss Bael? Are you alright?"

Someone had taken hold of her shoulder, a solid feeling to a room that Luna noted had become rather unstable. Had she been swaying?

The concerned tone at least was enough to return some level of clarity to Lunarunn, as she glanced over at Jaspal, who was frowning concernedly.

"You didn't know about this, did you?"

Sympathy? Was she still trying to be friendly? So that she could ride Luna's coattails as the brunette got dragged by the hair up to the level of the Nobles?

Her mouth opened, about to tell Jaspal to in no kind terms to get lost, but instead of the words she wanted to say, something else came out.

"Ah... sorry. I was not aware, no. This came as... quite, quite the shock. Ahaha..."

No, that wasn't what she wanted to say. She wanted this Devil bitch to get bent! Luna opened her mouth again to do so, and...

"Thank you for... uh, helping me stay upright."

No, no, no! Why weren't her words what they were supposed to be? What was going on?

"It's no problem." Jaspal smiled, and Luna was, for the briefest of moments, touched by the sympathetic gesture. "Us girls need to stick together, right? Especially after a curveball like that."

A thought hit her, and caused her rage to soar even further. Ajuka's seal! That wasn't just something to keep her from accidentally letting something slip, was it? It was forcing her to stay civil! It was a goddamned remote control spell!

"Ahaha... to call it a curveball would be an understatement," she laughed politely. "I'm still conflicted about the... suddenness of it. I would have thought I'd be told I had a new bloodline."

Conflicted? Conflicted!? What she was conflicted about was how to tear Ajuka's and Sirzech's scrotums from their dicks and choke the fuckers with them, power differences be damned!

"Are... you alright, really? You're giving off a rather... evil aura, right now." She didn't back away, though whether that was foolhardiness or compassion Luna neither knew nor cared.

"Perhaps I'm a little upset at the lack of transparency. I'll need to have a word with Ajuka in private before I can dance with anyone."

"I cannot say I blame you there," the ravenette shook her head briefly. "I'll try and help with some of the suitors you'll be receiving. But just be careful, alright? It's a snake pit, if you weren't already aware, and you're right in the center of it now."

"Could Miss Bael please come to the podium?" Ajuka said. "I believe that there will be a few questions you all want to ask, and I will want a word as well afterwards."

"I figured as much. Thanks for the support." Another polite smile as she walked through the crowd to the podium, up to Ajuka Beelzebub and Sirzech's floating voice amplification seal. The green-haired Maou finally met her eyes, his own expression carefully neutral.

She wanted to jab her thumbs in his eyes, pop them, and then slowly scoop them out. See how he'd get anything done with no way to see where he was going, it'd be just punishment for leaving her in the dark-

"We'll talk after this," he spoke quietly, to which Luna nodded once.

'Oh, we'll talk alright.'

She turned to the microphone, tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled, eyes sliding shut as her mouth opened once more, ready to release a stream of invectives so vile that even the Devils would reel back in sheer horror.

"Ahaha... I will admit to this being quite the shock. I'll take a few questions, then speak with Lord Beelzebub before the dance floor opens. If you want to know more after I am finished speaking, you'll have to catch me for a dance."

The brunette wouldn't even get a chance, would she?

She dearly hoped that Ajuka and Sirzechs would get erased by holy light, perhaps even the True Longinus, before the night was out.

That wasn't going to happen either, but she could keep that as a pipe dream.

"Now, for the first question-"

The brunette got cut off as the Devils all started calling up to her, all the questions getting lost in the chaos.

So loud... if only they would be silent.

Lunarunn blinked, as did the other Devils as their mouths opened, but no sound came out. Odd, she hadn't intentionally called on her 'Worldweave', as the backstabbing scientist had put it.

"One at a time, please." Her voice came out fine, though. She pointed over to one of the Devils in the crowd.

"You only found out about this now?" one of them queried, voice sounding out from the forcefully silenced masses.

There was a slight pulse in the back of her mind. Was she filtering out the voices of any Devils aside from her and those whose questions Luna was answering? Interesting, she hadn't even put much focus into it. She just wanted them to be quiet.

Were her powers grafting onto her Devil form further? Or was it...?

"Indeed. I cannot say I know the reasoning behind his decision, but I trust Lord Ajuka's judgement in not revealing the fact that I bear a new bloodline until now. I am just as surprised as the rest of you."

Well, that's part of what she was feeling right now, anyway. There was a lot more there, but it was clear nothing else was coming out of her mouth.

Her finger pointed over to another Devil, who spoke up . "And how do we know that Lord Ajuka is not mistaken about this discovery?"

The green-haired Maou's eyes narrowed faintly, but otherwise didn't react, seeing as the question was technically aimed at Lunarunn.

"Have none of you tried breaking whatever silence has fallen upon the hall?" she asked in turn, glossing over the forcefully quieted crowd. "I can see a few amplification runes in the crowd much like the one I am speaking into now. Yet, despite that sound simply does not flow. I imposed upon the air the rule that no sound but those I desire may pass. If you need a more visible representation, though..."

Luna pointed over at one of the tables, another tug in the back of her mind as an apple flew into the air as though tossed, coming to a halt briefly midair before shooting toward the brunette, who caught it easily.

She lifted it up, showing the apple off to the crowd with a polite smile. "No magic. No demonic power. Just the air, carrying an apple into my grasp. Now imagine what that air could do, if I were to decide that said air became sharper than blades."

Oh wait, her mouth was moving again, so now she could say what she wanted to?

"Or if I decided to break off an oxygen molecule from all the carbon dioxide being exuded into the air to create a far greater quantity of carbon monoxide?"

Ajuka's eyes widened at that, as did the more learned Devils in the crowd.

The brunette polite smile widened, and she beamed at the audience, mouth moving of its own volition once more. "Simply put, what things about the world I know, I can put into action. If I wanted to, I'm sure a good portion of you would have fallen by now, none the wiser to being poisoned by the very air itself. To say nothing of what other methods I might use to kill every last person in this room if I were so provoked."

Certainly, there were two who'd done well to provoke her in that regard.

Still, that gave even the Devil who'd indirectly challenged Ajuka a reason to step back, glancing down at himself and exhaling forcefully. 'Hah. He's paranoid now, serves him right!'

"My apologies for the unwarranted threats-" Oh, for Sirzechs and Ajuka they were quite warranted, "-but I did want to explain a facet of my abilities to prove my point. So please, do not doubt the veracity of Lord Beelzebub's results. If he believes that such a power can be transferred by blood then there is reason for him to. He is, after all, the premier scientist in the Underworld, rivaled only by the Governor-General of the Grigori himself."

Luna pointed at another, realizing that it was Jaspal only after the ravenette started speaking, as caught up in this mess as she was.

"Are you currently looking to tie yourself to a Peerage, or marrying into another Pillar to better your position in society by offering them a chance at your bloodline?"

'No, no, no, a thousand times no!'

"Perhaps. I do hold high standards for myself though. Even more so, now that I realize just what I bear, so it would take a Devil of truly impressive quality to capture my interest."

Lunarunn could have thrown her hands up right there. Interest her? Hell no, she was in this to climb to the top her way! Why was she saying this stuff, why was Ajuka making her say this stuff!?

Her finger went to another. "You seem awfully sure of your capabilities, Miss Bael."

The brunette tilted her head.

"I have reason to be. But such competitive thoughts shouldn't be brought into a party. We're here to celebrate after all, aren't we? Let's dispense with the unpleasantries and make merry. This is a joyous occasion we are here to celebrate, after all."


Ajuka was honestly rather impressed. He knew that Luna wouldn't take kindly to the information bomb he dropped on the party about her heritage, but aside from the brief darkening of her expression once the brunette's self-control was impeccable. Serafall really must have done a good job with Luna for her to keep her cool, especially when she could be so volatile in certain circumstances, to say nothing of the brunette herself.

He was half expecting her to blow up then and there, considering the ramifications of such an expose. But no, Lunarunn took it in remarkable stride, and even managed to prove herself far from helpless in the face of the high class. Nothing like a good threat to one's physical state of being to look like someone not to be trifled with.

She even managed to briefly intimidate him, regarding what she could potentially do with Worldweave.

Devils still breathe, after all, and he knew full well how devastating a poison can be to a person's body, especially if they aren't aware it's even there.

Granted, Ajuka himself would have noticed long before Luna managed to poison him or any of the other Devils in the hall with carbon monoxide, plus there were fire alarms all over the place, but it was so well within her realm of capability that he had little doubt that an even more devious assassination technique could find its way into the brunette's repertoire.

He had contingencies for just about everything, but... an ability like Luna's might be the sort of weapon that could slip through a crack he didn't see, especially when paired with a cunning mind. It was both concerning and fascinating, and once again reaffirmed that he was in the right for putting time into studying her.

So the green-haired Maou felt somewhat guilty about how Sirzechs strong-armed him into throwing Luna into view of the Pillars bound and stuffed like a pork roast.

But, he couldn't - and wouldn't - honor a promise made to his closest friend when said friend came a-calling. To say nothing of the backlash that would cause, Ajuka swore to be by Sirzechs's side come the end times.

No matter how valuable Luna is, or how he found himself enjoying their chats, he would see that promise through.

So when Luna and him found themselves in a room off to the side, sealed in with privacy wards, the Beelzebub Satan found it unsurprising to see her polite expression slough off near-instantly to reveal just how pissed she was at him, just shy of murderous even.

Somehow she managed to even restrain herself to simply slamming him against the wall with a telekinetic burst though. Ajuka wondered how much of that was because she'd had a bit of time to come off the explosion point and how much of that was because she knew he'd stop her from going any further.

"What the fuck was that, Ajuka!?" Lunarunn snarled, fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly as she clearly tried very hard not to attempt manslaughter. Devilslaughter? "Give me a good fucking reason not to try and blow your goddamned head off right now!"

"I have several," the green-haired Maou replied dryly, not at all fazed by the damage his body flying into the wall had caused... to the wall, that is. He wasn't even scratched, though it might take a minute or two to clean his attire. He rose from the wall and dusted himself off. "You want them alphabetized, in order of how good they are, or the order in which I thought them up?"

"How about the order in which I might actually give a flying fuck, you backstabbing son of a bitch!?"

Ah, she was angrier than he expected. Perhaps she had been bottling up her rage, rather than burning it off over time like he'd initially expected. Oh, she was charging up a wind sphere. Time to nip that in the bud.

Ajuka strode forward at a speed beyond Luna's ability to track, and reached out to crush the orb before she could even fling it, tripping her in the process with a quick sweep of his leg. As the brunette toppled to the floor the green-haired demon lord started listing off said reasons. "First off, you'd get yourself killed before you could even blink. Next, even if you succeeded you would be chased to the ends of the earth, and then killed before you could even blink. Thirdly, being controlled by your rage means that you may end up doing something you regret."

As Luna propped herself back up with her arms, she turned to shoot an utterly venomous glare at the Beelzebub Satan. "Fucking funny of you to take the moral high ground when you took over my body with your shitting piss-stain of a seal."

He furrowed his brow. "The NDA seal?"

"No, I mean the one tattooed above my pussy, of course I fucking mean that seal!"

"That seal's effects are on the tin, Luna. There's nothing else there."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Ajuka. I know what I felt!" She scrambled back to her feet again, wind orbs spinning to life in her outstretched hands once more. This time though, the green-haired Maou could see she wasn't going to be as trigger happy with them, and so let it be. "The moment I was about to act after your announcement out there, my body stopped listening to me. I couldn't move how I wanted to move, I couldn't speak how I wanted to, if I was walking towards a cliff I would have strolled right off, I had no control over myself!"

Well, that, and the fact that Luna was describing a complete loss of her ability to control her own body was also rather distracting. And worrying. "...And you think that I was the one to do it? Despite you knowing full well my distaste towards compulsions?"

"Only in your precious Evil Pieces," she spat back. "You never said anything about them otherwise!"

"Not just my Evil Pieces, Luna! Not at all." His blunt statement managed to catch the furious brunette off-guard in its honesty, and the green-haired Maou capitalized. "That the OSF forced my hand in that regard only makes matters worse, but don't forget I've lived through two wars, with the end goal being the destruction of the opposing side in both. I've seen what that sort of magic can do, both to the one casting it and the ones victimized, far too many times. Compulsion magic abuse is right up there with murderous rituals and torture spells to me; utterly abhorrent."

Several more tense moments passed, Ajuka's gaze steady against the brunette's, before the latter Devil finally slumped, wind orbs dissipating into nothingness.

...Right, Luna wasn't logical when she was angry. His emotions must have gotten though when his logic didn't.

'Agh, interactions can be so irritating sometimes.'

"...Fine. I'll work under the assumption that you didn't end up controlling me on top of all the other shit you're putting me through now. So how the hell did I end up with my body being puppeteered by someone else if it wasn't you?"

"I don't know. But I plan on finding out."

She stared at him, before shaking her head. "No. I'll do it myself."

"You're turning down my assistance just like that?"

The glare returned. "With all due respect, Lord Beelzebub, after the shit you pulled tonight just dropping that fucking bomb of an announcement without even warning me, I'm not taking any chances with you or Lord Lucifer."

...That stung a bit more than he expected. But, considering how Luna is still handicapped as far as political clout goes, her reaction was... justified? Ajuka decided he wasn't going to over-complicate the matter, and instead inclined his head in a nod. "Very well. If you want to do this on your own, then I won't intrude further."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and avoid getting fucked tonight any more than what you've already done to me."

Lunarunn turned around and strode out of the room, creating an opening through the privacy ward with a swipe of her arm - when did she learn that? - to take her leave.

So Ajuka was left in the room with a damaged wall and lingering thoughts on his mind.

It was only several minutes and a quick repair spell later that he too rejoined the party.


That went... well. Well? No, the whole late afternoon was a right clusterfuck, and unloading on Ajuka was going to have long-term consequences. For one, their ability to work together was going to be understandably screwed up for a long time to come.

Though considering the way he and Sirzechs acted in using her, was there really any teamwork to begin with?

'No', Luna thought, she was just a useful tool to them. 'What just happened clearly shows that.'

Her head was a bit clearer now that she'd had some time to vent at least, which left Lunarunn able to focus on what she could do to try and spin this turn of events in her favor.

Part of the brunette wanted to just storm out of the hall, damn the consequences, and continue doing things her way. What was done was done, though. If she backpedaled on her prior grace and magnanimity in handling the reveal, there would be questions better left unasked. To walk out would be an insult to Sirzechs and Ajuka and risked putting focus back on the Satan Siblings.

As much as Luna was pissed, she wasn't keen on giving off a sense of a perceived danger to the Satan of Avaritia's sister, or to damage the pride of the Satan of Superbia. She had some self-preservation instinct, at least.

Though... perhaps before she might have done so regardless.

("...being controlled by your rage means that you may end up doing something you regret.")

Did he let her lash out so she could see reason again? That conniving son of a...

"Ugh. Fuck you, Ajuka, and fuck your being right too," Luna murmured under her breath, too low for anyone else to hear as she went looking for perhaps the only person she might be able to call an ally in unknown territory.

And even that was a tentative 'might' too. She could have laughed at how badly she got screwed over on this one, but it wasn't funny to begin with.

No matter. Lunarunn had work to do. Getting the last of her frustrations out could be finished once she returned home. For now, what mattered was completing the mission.

The music was admittedly nice and calming, as it radiated into the atmosphere, lending a guide to those currently wrapped up in dance. Thankfully, she was able to find the Valac heiress at one of the tables, currently speaking politely with... Ruval.

Oh, come on, that just wasn't fair. At least with some other random face she might have been able to get them to back off, but if Luna wanted to make this work despite everything, she was practically a supplicant before the Phenex heir.

He had too much power, too much influence, too much renown for her to be anything but. Dangerous. A threat, especially after the announcement.

It was with a start that Lunarunn noticed they'd made eye contact, and that his eyes, while they did hold the same faint gleam of... interest... that other Devils at the party had made far more blatantly, it was mostly overshadowed by the raw curiosity there.

'Hoo boy. That's going to be a mixed bag right there.'

Still, she couldn't exactly look away now, approaching the heir and heiress before bowing to them both. "My apologies for vanishing like that. Lord Beelzebub and I needed to converse after his announcement. Have I missed anything that I should be made aware of?"

"Not at all." The blonde shook his head, glancing at Jaspal and giving her a small smile. "I was simply conversing with Lady Valac while I waited for the celebrity of the hour to appear."

"And what an honor it was, Lord Ruval," the ravenette tittered, a faint flush suffusing her cheeks. Huh, was she a fangirl? "Though I would hate to keep you any longer, now that Miss Bael has arrived."

"I appreciate your generosity," the Phenex heir smiled at Jaspal - and Luna had to admit he had a damn good smile, full and earnest - before returning to Lunarunn and extending a hand. "May I have the pleasure of being your first dance partner in your first formal event?"

A direct invitation. And worded in such a way that to refuse would be a hit to his pride, and align the Phenexes against for the foreseeable future for the slight.

Crafty. Just like the Devil he was. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Ironically, it also told her that his Sin wasn't that of Superbia. Devils of Pride aren't nearly so willing to place their pride on the line over a simple invitation.

'Hm. Maybe not so simple. I'm a newblood after all.' With everything that came implied with such a title.

She had no reasonable choice. Luna curtsied, bowing her head low in deference as she extended her hand. "It would be my delight to accept your kind offer, Lord Phenex."

Luna turned her head and nodded to Jaspal. "And after Lord Phenex is satisfied, perhaps we could discuss a potential partnership going forward?"

"That certainly sounds productive. Consider me interested in going over the details." The Valac heiress pouted, though she did not appear offended and instead gave a nod in return.

The brunette returned her attention to the Blue Phoenix, and inclined her head to him, signaling her readiness to go to the dance floor.

So it was shortly after that, in which Luna found herself swaying to the beat, dancing against the warmer-than-normal form of a Phenex, the music having changed to something a little more upbeat.

The silence between them had little time to grow, however, with Ruval striking up a conversation after half a minute of silent examination. "You dance well."

"Ah. Thank you, Lord Phenex." Though her words were pleasant, her face was neutral, guarded. "After learning I would be joining Lord Beelzebub for this celebration, I made sure to touch up on my dancing skills. Outside the field of combat, they have found themselves somewhat covered in dust."

"Likening dancing in a hall full of nobles to a bloody battlefield?" Ruval lifted a brow.

Luna's eyes briefly slid shut and she dipped her head to the side, a shrugless shrug. "In either field, a single slip can cost you much. To say nothing of how... unpredictable, both a noble party and a fight can be."

"I cannot say I deny the two have their similarities," he admitted, tilting his head to the side briefly. "Though I do wonder, you speak as though you are familiar with the matter."

"Not intimately," the brunette confessed. "My actual combat experience is somewhat limited. Hunting Uvarys and returning him to the Underworld was my first... real taste. The rest is reading and inference."

"Your first was someone who had proven notorious at taking out Stray hunters?"

"I was assigned to it by Lord Beelzebub without much information on the matter."

Ruval nodded slowly, breathing out a noise of understanding. For all her uniqueness, that made her all the more susceptible to being played and influenced by others. They both knew that. Not for the first time Luna internally cursed her relative lack of clout.

"It seems remarkably unlike Lord Beelzebub to send a singular anomaly into a situation that has killed Peerages."

"I know, which makes me wonder what was going through his mind when he did." Luna breathed out, frowning as she realized she was making easy talk with the Phenex heir. Wasn't she trying to keep the Phenexes from turning their eyes on her for a marriage contract?

"Did you think of a reason?"

She couldn't exactly be truthful here, so Lunarunn chose omission instead. "Not that. I just had an unpleasant thought, is all."

"Really? Weren't you the one to suggest leaving aside unpleasantness in favor of celebration?"

Luna wanted to snark back. So badly, but she knew that could end badly. So instead, she shook her head, giving as sincere a beam as she could. "So I was. You are correct, Lord Phenex, it would be hypocritical of me to focus on such matters."

The silence returned, but thanks to the warm atmosphere and music, it wasn't as stifling as Luna expected it to be. Music that she noted to be ending.

Yet... "I would beg your pardon, but my curiosity regarding your circumstances has not been slaked. Would you please accompany me for this next song as well?"

'Uuuuuuuugh.'

"I would hate to feel as though I'm intruding on the time of the Eighth Rating Games King..."

'No I wouldn't! Please, send me off so I can try and get as much time in with Jaspal as possible!'

"If I felt as such, I would not even have asked. Please, accept this Heir's sincerest apologies for his greed for knowledge."

'Fuuuuuuuuuuck!'

"With such an earnest apology, what else could I do but accept?"


An hour.

An hour of dancing with the Blue Phenex, one dance after the other, the heir prodding Luna, poking, trying to get... something, out of her? Information? Knowledge? It was a good front, and perhaps even an honest one, but it certainly was not his main goal, if the somewhat disappointed expression that briefly flickered across Ruval's face when Luna finally excused herself was any indication.

Honestly, it was tiring. She wasn't sure what he wanted, but he was insistent if nothing else. Even as Luna took her leave, she had little doubt that she'd heard the last of the Phenex.

Part of her wanted to take the opportunity and bail, but there was still quite a few hours before she could do so without causing offense.

So, like the good pawn she was, Lunarunn stayed.

Even if it make her throw up a little in her mouth thinking about it.

At least she could try and find Jaspal to get into that talk...?

Her train of thought trailed off when she noted that said heiress was busy dancing with another noble. Well, there went that plan.

And then there were the other Devils. The ones who were less... subtle, about their intentions, and bore down on her now that her audience with Ruval had ended.

The brunette regretted her choice.

Much like Luna expected, they flaunted their wealth, boasted about their Peerages, expected her to be wowed and awed by their 'incredible' achievements (which Luna could honestly not give even two fucks about), and she reacted as such, playing the part of the newblood in an old crowd. As far as more permanent suggestions though, such as joining Peerages or whenever a marriage contract came up, she deflected and evaded as best she could.

For the most part, it worked. Sometimes she had to be a little more forceful, but Lunarunn managed to at least stave off the suitors.

That, however, went on for quite a bit longer than her dances with Ruval did. By now, she'd helped herself to dinner, and while the flavor did explode in her mouth, a symphony of succulence, Lunarunn found it difficult to really enjoy it.

Perhaps that's why it was so strong, so that people like her might be able to derive some form of pleasure out of this hell.

'This. Is. Miserableeeeee!'

Thankfully, the time was coming up when she would actually be able to leave, and when she was getting back home she was burning the dress she was wearing!

At the very least, the attention had shifted from Rias and Sona...?

Luna knew she should be able to at least take some solace from the matter, but with all that same attention on her she found it difficult to give much of a damn.

"Excuse me, might I have a moment of your time?"

She turned around to see who it was that spoke, and this time it was a young man with medium-length teal hair, eyes appearing just shy of shut and an easy smile on his face.

Like with Ruval, his appearance was causing her memory to wave a flag, the identity of this newcomer on the tip of her tongue. Particularly the squinty eyes bit. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure it out.

"I presume you are here to get to know about Ajuka's little pet project?" she asked, a polite smile on her face in turn as the brunette rose to her feet. "That does seem to be the general consensus of most the faces I've met today."

"Aha. Most of the people here know each other. Can you blame Devils finding novelty in a commoner girl coming to such a high-profile event with a Satan? Why, even without Lord Beelzebub's statement I'm sure your face would be on the front cover of the news by tomorrow morning!"

"And with that announcement, I'm gonna be the headlines for the week to come."

The young Devil tilted his head, smile dropping for a confused frown. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"It's... not? Not really. It's just... new. A lot different than what I'm used to. And with it, the usual package that comes with mass recognition." She gave a soft exhale, tilting her head in a shoulderless shrug again. "I was hoping to climb to the top at some point, but not quite... this way."

"Do you want to talk about it?" The Devil sat down in the seat next to Luna, rather than taking her to the dance floor like all the others. The brunette thought it an oddly considerate move. "I like to think I can listen pretty well."

"I appreciate the offer," and she did, "but it would be somewhat odd to describe how I wanted to become famous to a stranger."

"Then I should at least offer my name, yeah?" The smile returned. "That way, we aren't strangers anymore, just acquaintances. And perhaps even friends, if circumstances turn out as such."

If it were a different setting, a more casual one, Luna might have said much the same. As it was though, she couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Devils are Devils are Devils. There's always an underlying motive. Had he observed how she reacted to the others and based his approach on that?

Because even now, she was more comfortable with the more easygoing, casual demeanor as opposed to the pompous, arrogant, even entitled airs that most other Devils had surrounding them during their... allotted time, with her.

Well, what could be the worst outcome?

'Give me a break Murphy, please?'

"Luna. Lunarunn Bael." She smiled politely, glad that there was at least a third person amongst the dozens that didn't seem like a prick, asshole, entitled twat, monster, or creep.

The young Devil inclined his head and beamed back. "Diodora Astaroth, heir of the Astaroth Pillar. It's great to meet you, Miss Bael."


A/N -

luna stop poking murphy you're just pissing him off more

...

Sigh.

This one didn't come as easily as the others, unfortunately. Between upcoming exams and a bit of a dry spell for my muse, I ended up writing the last couple parts all in one go. As a result, it's a little shorter, back down to the low end of the 6k-8k stuff I've been putting out the past few weeks, and a little later. A little disappointing, personally, but we all have those off weeks.

To the two of you who responded in the polls on my profile, thank you! I appreciate your input, and look forward to seeing what everyone else thinks!