NMHA Ch 15 - Welcome To The Masquerade
Luna almost attacked him right then and there.
She could practically see it in her mind's eye, using the opportunity that the young Astaroth heir's guard was down to slit his throat with a blade made of wind. His blood would gush out the wound, splattering her sky dress red, the rapist toppling back with eyes wide and something gurgling from his throat. He'd be a dead man before the day was out, and he'd no longer be able to terrorize those women who made the only mistake of catching his eye.
It was tempting, admittedly, to cleanse the world of this blight, even when the consequences would be so dire that she may as well take her own life afterward.
The brunette could already imagine how the aftermath would go.
Fuck that.
"Ah, is something the matter? You're giving off a... weird energy right now."
Yeah. The little shitstain hasn't shown the world what a monster he is yet. He gets to live.
'For now.'
"I'm fine. I just had a bad thought."
"About me?" Diodora's smile lessened slightly.
Yes. "No, moreso just the fact that I seem to be a... hot commodity to the Pillars."
"You are the first Devil to possess a bloodline that isn't derived from our forefathers in one form or another." The smile smoothed out, and the teal-haired young man gave a shrug. "I'm more impressed that they haven't tried clouting you into some sort of arrangement yet."
"So what brings you here. then? Going to show off your Peerage? Maybe suggest that I start courting you to 'shield myself from the attentions of the others'? Or just say I should submit myself to becoming part of your Peerage?"
Granted, considering who it was Luna had little doubt that last part would actually happen. The Astaroth heir was obsessed with women of the cloth after all.
"Admittedly, the thought crossed my mind to deliver an intent to court." One eye opened, the smile taking on a slightly more teasing turn. "But, it wouldn't feel right unless I knew what to give to declare that intent that you might actually appreciate."
"How 'bout a burlap sack?" Luna shot back. "A gift to match how little of a damn I give about high-class courting."
Diodora had the audacity to laugh at that, eye closing once more. It was a nice laugh, actually. Not cackling or anything 'evil' that she would have expected from him. "Careful, Miss Bael, your commoner is showing. It's a nice change of pace compared to all the veiled insults and flowery snipes though, so I don't mind."
Did he seriously think she'd buy his bullshit? The teal-haired young man might not know her, but she knew him, and she knew what sort of subhuman worm he was behind that mask.
"Devils will be Devils," Luna ground out. "There's always a hidden motive. So tell it to me straight: why are you here?"
"Devils will be Devils," Diodora echoed back, nodding in agreement. "And so are you. Yet, you're not. You've got the odd circumstances of being privy to all that a pureblood is privy to, yet still being... human, at the very end of the day. I want to know more about you, about what you think about the Underworld. What your experiences between the two worlds."
"Don't you have your Peerage for that?" the brunette fired back, fully expecting him to come up with some excuse.
"He has his Queen for comparison," a rich, full voice replied, two arms draping around the Astaroth heir as someone peered at Luna from above the heir's head. A blonde, hair long and straight with bright green eyes and a languid smile. "'But it never hurts to have a second opinion'. Is that what you were thinking, my King?"
The heir blushed at that, which stopped Luna cold. 'What the fuck?'
"At least let me have the opportunity to say it myself," Diodora pouted, sending a mock glare at his... Queen?
Luna didn't recognize her. But she did recognize the wear the other woman had. While the clothing was appropriate for a ball such as where they were now, the styling was a modification of a nun's robes. Part and parcel for what she knew of Diodora, at least.
The Astaroth heir shook his head, running a hand through his hair briefly before continuing. "But she's right of course. Before anything else though I should introduce her to you, where are my manners? Miss Bael, this is Tara Charleston. My Queen, my sole Peerage member...
"And his better half," the now-named nun-turned-Devil finished, nodding once with a soft laugh. "And fiancee, at that."
'Eh?'
"Fiancee?" the brunette parroted, glancing between the two. "You're engaged?"
"In heart, if not by the standards of the Underworld," Diodora jumped back in, turning his head and opening his eyes to glance back up at his Queen, who was standing over where he was seated. His smile softened, and rose to take one hand and kiss her knuckle. Judging by the smile they shared, there seemed to definitely be something there. His gaze turned back to Luna, the two of them sitting back down side by side across from the brunette. "Though I'm hoping that will change soon enough."
'Something's... not adding up here.'
Luna looked at Tara, and frowned. She didn't... seem, all that drone-like, or broken, or anything like that. The blonde looked happy, even. She had a natural slowness to her motions, or perhaps it was more of an easygoing nature enhanced by sloth, but her eyes had a life to them that Luna had a feeling wouldn't be there if Diodora had broken her like the other nuns.
So what was going on? Was this all a show he was putting on? If so, she'd have to give props to his Queen for being a fantastic actor, to even imitate liveliness. The timing was oddly convenient, too.
What Lunarunn saw and what she knew were two very different things, and that made her confused.
She wasn't overfond of being confused like this.
"So wait, you're saying that you don't have any other Peerage members aside from your Queen, Lord Astaroth?"
"Diodora, please." He waved down her formality. "Lord Astaroth's awfully stuffy, something better suited for special events rather than an idle chat. As for your question, yes. I haven't seen much reason to use my Evil Pieces otherwise."
"And why is that...?" Luna trailed off, glancing to Tara. "Do you have a specific prerequisite for your Peerage?"
"My, you're awfully curious." Tara leaned in, her smile taking a wicked edge to it as her head tilted to the side. "Why? Are you that interested in joining my King that you're trying to feel out what it would take to convince him to part with one of his Pieces?"
She licked her lips as she gave Luna a thorough examination. After a long second, her gaze returned to the brunette. "Hmmm... well, you certainly are cute. I know I wouldn't mind having a new subordinate to... show the ropes to."
Luna's eyes, though they remained firmly above the neck, were still able to see how curvy Diodora's Queen was, and while the dress was conservative in the skin it showed, it certainly emphasized her strong points. Which, if the brunette were to be perfectly honest... was a lot of what she could see in the first place.
Combine that with the implications, and the tone with which she spoke, and...
'...Holy fuck. Almost literally.'
Fighting to keep the blush off her face and focus on the fact that this was Diodora Astaroth she was talking to - oh wow that definitely helped her focus, shit she almost fell for the honey trap - Luna pressed on. "No, I'm actually more curious about how you two ended up together. Both in Peerage, and... relationally?"
Tara leaned back, a delicate brow lifting faintly, before she glanced away. Her expression darkened. "That... is something of a bad story. It's, personal, you know? I'm not against sharing the cliff notes, but the details are something I would rather leave... untouched."
Yep, there it was. He was good, but Luna could see the cracks in the act. That reticence was pretty damning in her eyes. And to think, she had almost started coming to the idea that Diodora might not be the same one she knew. Just more subtle.
The blonde glanced at Diodora, then at Luna, then sighed softly. Her expression firmed. "I won't go into detail, but I was in a real bad situation when Lord Diodora stepped in. Bad enough that... well. It was really, really bad. I can't understate that. He saved me, you know. Saved me, showed me that there was more to life than what I knew, and helped me come to terms with my... circumstances every step of the way. How could I not agree, when he offered me a new home and a place by his side?"
'...Huh?'
Luna noted that Diodora hadn't chastised Tara for the 'lord' comment, but focused mostly on the expressions of the Astaroth Queen. Her comments were... genuine? But that didn't make any sense. Didn't Diodora get off on breaking nuns? So why was his Queen talking as if he made her whole? Why did her whole expression and posture practically radiate loyalty to her King, rather than the ragged doggedness that a broken individual would have toward their abuser?
This... this didn't make any sense. Not with what she knew.
One Queen, wholly dedicated to him, as opposed to a full Peerage which were nothing more than dolls for him to use as he saw fit? What was she missing?
Diodora smiled at Tara and kissed her hand again, before turning to Luna, the smile dropping for a more serious expression. "As for your question, whether or not I have a specific prerequisite? No. I do not. But becoming a Devil is a big commitment, especially in joining a Peerage. You're giving up your old life to become part of something much bigger, where walking away is out of the picture. I only offer my pieces to those who understand that, and understand that by doing so, they're tying themselves to me for as long as we both shall live. Such a commitment is not to be taken lightly, which is why I only have a single Queen despite having my Pieces for a while now."
"You basically summed up my reasoning for why I don't plan on joining any Peerages any time soon, you know." Luna's tone was dry, as reality continued to defy what she knew was real.
Diodora Astaroth was a monster. A rapist, of mind, body, and soul. The worst kind of individual.
So, why the ever-loving fuck did he sound like a decent, even a good, person? Why was someone who clearly would be at the forefront of his abuse giving him glances that all but said that he meant the world to her?
He smiled again. "I know. Which is why I wanted to get to know you before even offering, and vice-versa, because we're both fully aware of what inviting you to join my Peerage entails."
Rape, agonizing abuse, gaslighting, and objectification, all to the most vile degree? Yeah, she was aware.
Yet, there was a growing doubt in the back of Luna's mind that such happenings were what he meant.
Which pissed her off, because she knew that was exactly what awaited Luna if she ever ended up as a part of Diodora's Peerage for any reason.
"Then you understand why I'm leery about anyone who approaches me tonight."
"Perhaps, but you have also been rather hard and evasive toward everyone who tries to approach," Tara added, frowning thoughtfully. "Even to Lord Ravel, despite him being well known for his gentlemanly and chivalrous nature."
"Just because he's a nice guy doesn't mean he won't use me for whatever goal he has in mind."
Case in point, Sirzechs and Ajuka.
Diodora's lips twitched downward in realization.
"So you feel betrayed by what Lord Ajuka did, after feeling as though you could trust him, so now you're seeing ulterior motives everywhere."
Luna's eyes sharpened, temper spiking at just how perfectly Diodora had managed to piece her current feelings toward the Maou together. "I'd prefer it if you kept that little deduction to yourself, am I clear?"
"Crystal." He sighed, shaking his head. "But that does put a lot of things into perspective, admittedly."
"I would ask that you at least give Lord Diodora the benefit of the doubt," The blonde spoke up again, glancing over at her King, brow furrowed. "He's been doing what he can to meet you halfway, despite being well in his right to try and leverage his status and influence."
"Tara, you know how I feel about that. Devils shouldn't be so mired in cloak and dagger hogwash if they can help it."
"Huh?" Oh, the brunette accidentally said that aloud, now both Diodora and Tara were staring at her.
So, she continued. "Excuse me, but I find that somewhat difficult to believe, considering the attire you're both wearing. One in a rather expensive looking tuxedo, and the other in a dress that looks like it was a nun's robe that ended up repurposed. There's no way in Heaven or Hell that is anywhere near cheap."
"Just because I'm not a fan of using my status as a cudgel doesn't mean I shouldn't look the part." Diodora chuckled. "Besides, the dress was my Queen's idea."
"It's a reminder of what I was, and what I've become," said Queen elaborated. "Much like how your wear is a declaration to everyone about how you could flourish, given the chance. The dress really brings out your eyes, by the way."
She smiled briefly, before returning to business. "Thank you, Lady Tara. Still, you haven't exactly answered my... question?"
"I would say 'accusation'," Diodora corrected her, "but if you really want to get into ideology so early then I will oblige."
His eyes opened, and he set a hand on the table. "The way I see it, Devils are holding themselves back from what we can truly be. The lies, the clout chasing, the endless posturing, it all sounds like so much rubbish to me. We're beings who were sworn enemies of the biblical God, a being so powerful that there's a good chance he made this world and everything within it by proxy. We may have changed since those times, but I don't think it was for the better."
Sounds like OSF talk, returning to the glory days.
His hand on the table clenched. "At least, not in a societal fashion. We've gone from a people who stood at the top of the world, a race that were respected for our dominion over the darkness of the world as much as we were feared and hated for it, to... to bureaucrats! Politicians! People who talk the talk, but don't walk the walk unless it's to protect their number one."
"And you mean to say that you would rather we go back to the endless days of slaughter and bloodshed?"
"Please don't put words into my mouth, Miss Bael," he interjected cooly, eyes sharpening. "I'm not saying to return to the warfaring ways of our past. I think the two wars we're still struggling to get back on our feet from are enough to show that endless battle will only bring further harm to our kind. But that doesn't mean we can't continue to learn from it."
She couldn't believe that he was saying these things.
"...Go on."
Diodora and Tara glanced at each other, before nodding simultaneously, the heir of the Astaroth Pillar turning back to Luna to continue. "Conflict is a part of nature. That's a simple fact of life; conflict happens. If it weren't, we'd be nothing more than machines. But neither can we thrive in nothing but fighting. As much as a threat to one's existence can drive one to grasp something they may not otherwise have been able to pull from within them, endless battle does nothing but harm."
Luna glanced around. Were the other Devils avoiding them...?
Diodora traced the brunette's gaze, and then focused back in on the Reincarnation Anomaly. "...Don't mind them. They don't like to hear what I have to say."
Then he smiled again, eyes closing as he turned his head away. "And unfortunately, in a world where might makes right I don't exactly... have the power to force them to listen or to think."
Yeah, he did need Ophis's snake to be a threat to Rias's Peerage in canon, didn't he?
"Is that because of lack of talent, or lack of training?"
"More the former." Diodora shook his head. "I'm not... weak, per se. I'd even go so far as to say there's good reason for me to be part of the High Class."
"The problem is, my King and I are strong, but we are not... especially so." Tara ran a finger along the edge of the table, shaking her head slowly. "We even fought in the Young Devil's Rating Game Tournament this year, and made it two rounds before ending up facing off against Lord Ruval."
"Needless to say, we got flash-fried," Diodora laughed, shaking his head self-deprecatingly. "Never even stood a chance. We're good, but the people at the top... they're another story altogether. I can admire them for their strength, even."
His laughed died, leaving the closed-eye Astaroth heir facing the table, face set in a dark scowl. His fist on the table started to shake slightly.. "But at the same time, I see them, and see what they're doing with that strength, that influence, and... I just get angry, because it's just... more of the same old routine."
There was a terse silence, as Tara reached over to cover his fist with a hand. The shadows on Diodora's face vanished as he turned to face her, the smile returning. It wasn't quite as set as his other ones, but it was there.
"In nature, and in civilization, stagnation means death for whatever is in question, whether it is a person or a culture." The Devil shook his head, glancing around and gesturing before continuing, expression directed at Lunarunn once more.
"Does not this seem like stagnation to you? The biggest face among Devils, the most powerful Devil to exist ever, someone who once fought for all our people, now throwing one of the lowest of us into the hungry masses for... whatever reason. And yet, he assumes consent simply because she wanted to help, despite - or perhaps because of - the fact that she could become something even greater than him. Our smartest, our brightest, the man who near single-handedly saved our species, whiling away his days in a lonely lab working with whatever cockamamie idea comes to him, only emerging from under his rock because of a Reincarnation without an Evil Piece, a once-in-an-eternity anomaly in the system. Do you not see how that's a problem for my people, and the people you've become part of?"
"Do they not deserve rest for what they've already done?" The words almost rose unbidden from Luna's mouth, playing devil's advocate, then realizing the irony of the terminology afterward.
"Of course they do." The blonde agreed, glancing between the two before adding onto her agreement with a qualifier. "But that doesn't mean they should be derelict in their duty to the people whose trust they carry. The fact of the matter is, they've become so used to the easy days that the Satans have become complacent. So, those in power desire to keep the status quo. Their friends safe, their loved ones happy, and if it means taking advantage of someone who only wanted to help...?"
She didn't finish. She didn't need to.
Now it was Tara with the grim smile. "In that, humans and Devils are remarkably the same."
Lunarunn felt like she was being pitched something. And while it galled her that she was being tempted over it by the most vile Devil in canon... well, he and his Queen were speaking reason.
Wasn't the reason she was striving so hard to reach High Class in the first place so that she could save keep the events that scarred the canon cast from happening? To enact change, before things got so bad that the leaders of the factions finally needed to get off their asses to keep their precious people safe?
"...What is it you two are getting at?" she asked, voice low and slow. "I won't lie, you two raise some pretty valid arguments, but at the same time I'm still leery. What is it you have planned?"
Diodora's smile was as genuine as she'd seen it so far, and considering the difference she'd noted between the heir from canon and the heir she was looking at, that meant quite a bit.
"A revolution, of course."
Whatever the other Devils saw after that, Luna wasn't quite sure. Her head was definitely spinning, mostly because of what Diodora was implying. But she got the feeling that her departure from the pillar heir and his Queen was a bit more forced than how Diodora got speaking with her in the first place.
And wasn't that just strange, that he wasn't acting like the person she thought he was?
No, at least, she was taking the fact that he seemed like a decent person a bit harshly. She was under the impression that she would know if the Astaroth heir was hiding his actions. Yet, had Luna not known what he was she would have fallen for it hook line and sinker. Even now, the demeanor he wore was making her have doubts, especially with how... happy, his Queen looked to be with him.
...Was that because he had managed to hide his abuses for as long, that keeping it up in public was as natural as if it were real in the first place? Or because... he wasn't that monster he was portrayed to be in canon?
Or, maybe it was because this was before canon. She definitely didn't recognize his queen: Luna definitely would have remembered a blonde bombshell of a former nun as part of his Peerage.
Was it a matter of Ishibumi taking creative privileges to make a twisted mirror of Issei? Or was it because something happened that turned Diodora dark? Or was she just trying to make sense of why he gave off nothing but honest intent when she knew he was anything but?
'Fuck, my head hurts.'
She lifted a hand to her head, rubbing it as she tried to break out of the endless loop trying to make sense of this Diodora Astaroth, to some success.
Which brought her to his offer.
A revolution? A force for change? A force to enact a different will than exists now, to force the Maou to get off their asses and start acting like the leaders who had negotiated a ceasefire with Heaven and the Grigori, and won a civil war?
Chaos.
If Luna was reading between the lines, then... he was inviting her to join the Khaos Brigade? Had Ophis been booted out of the Dimensional Gap already and building her forces to reclaim it from Great Red? She wasn't quite sure about that; the Khaos Brigade in canon was more or less a confederacy of factions, each with varying goals held together only by the threat of destruction Ophis made if they didn't bend to her will.
She bit her lip, looking down as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Then again, the Khaos Brigade might not be the same one she knew either. After all, if Diodora really was different than what canon provided, then the implications going forward were enormous, especially considering what that meant about the other factions.
Or even the Maou...
The brunette scowled, taking a glass from a nearby waiter, and downing the contents within in one go, taking the option to wet her throat and recover her thoughts after everything that she had to go through.
It was when her throat started burning that Luna realized she'd downed an entire glass of wine like it was a shot glass, holding an elbow as she started coughing, grimacing as the bitter taste of the alcohol continued to plague the back of her mouth and throat. That might not have been the intended effect, but it still helped her focus all the same.
Right. She couldn't base her opinion on anyone from what she knew of canon, at least until she was sure how closely the world she lived in now lined up with the light novels. Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Serafall definitely acted similarly to how she would expect them to, but...
'...Devils are Devils are Devils,' Luna finished internally, letting her elbow lower as she set the glass aside on the table, moving onward.
That's right. They're a species built on instinct, on the baser desires of man. That probably meant that they were more factional as well, and while the Maou might think themselves above that...
It didn't exactly stop them from putting a target on her back for every Pillar to see when it came to defending what they saw as them and theirs.
Maybe it was her own Devil instincts amplifying what sense of betrayal she felt about the matter, but Lunarunn was taking the matter... very personally, either way.
Which made Diodora's offer all the more tempting, and she hated the fact that he argued enough to actually make her consider it in the first place.
"Are you alright, Miss Bael?"
Oh great, it was Ruval again. The Phenex heir must have taken note of her 'less-than-formal' actions and come to do more digging now that she was available again.
"Yeah, doing just great, thanks."
After a beat, Lunarunn winced at the harsh sarcasm, shaking her head. "Huuu... That was rude of me. I apologize, it's been a... trying night."
"I... can imagine." The blond man nodded slowly in understanding, glancing away. "Between the attention you've been getting and the discussions you've been having, it's a large change to what you're used to, am I mistaken?"
"Well... that's part of it, at least. I suppose I'm not cut out for all the cloak and dagger mess, or at the very least not cut out for finding myself in the midst of it all of a sudden."
"You seem to have a decent idea for it, at least, by proving yourself a threat if pushed. At the very least, it gives you a little bit of breathing room."
Lunarunn decided to keep the fact that she hadn't been acting of her own volition back then, and damn it all the people bothering her weren't helping the matter of figuring out what in the world happened there!
"Perhaps, but I'm still being rather inundated with enough people to make my head spin."
"A common occurrence for those newly entering the political scene." Ruval laughed lightly. "I can remember my brother Rexen in his first gala. The poor man accidentally fell into the punch bowl and ruined the suit tailor-made for him because he was so overwhelmed!"
Her lips quirked upward, the brevity lifting her mood at least a small bit. "Oh, that must have been quite the riot."
"It was then, and is now, though he will never admit to it happening even on pain of death." Ruval's hand lifted and tilted to the side. "Compared to him, you're already much farther ahead, even with your prickliness come the dance."
And just like that, Luna was scowling again. "Speaking of which, why don't we cut to the crux of the matter and stop wasting both our times? So be straight with me; why are you so interested in me, Lord Phenex? Even before the announcement, you seemed to have an inkling about what I might be worth."
"Hm?" The cheerfulness in the Phenex heir's expression faded, brow furrowing as his gaze grew more serious. His hands slipped behind his back, as his eyes shifted from side to side. Finally, he spoke. "Not pulling your punches, I see. Very well. I will say that it has to do with family matters now, and ask we find a more private area for a more in-depth explanation."
"Same room I had a talk with Lord Beelzebub in?"
"Very well. I believe I remember where you two sent, so if we could reconvene there?"
So Lunarunn found herself back in that side room with Ruval. This time, at least, she wasn't angry enough to nearly froth at the mouth, but rather surly, but willing to at least hear Ruval out.
She also noted that the wall she'd slammed Ajuka into was fixed. How nice of him to do that before fucking off.
'Tch.'
As the blond-haired Devil took a seat, he glanced over at the entryway before casting a privacy seal, this one with licks of flame, indicative of the Phenex's magic. After making sure they wouldn't be interrupted, Ruval's gaze returned to the brunette. "...By the way, what was Lord Astaroth and his Queen speaking with you about to make you leave that table so suddenly?"
"Answer my questions and I'll answer yours."
Ruval took her response in stride and inclined his head in acceptance. "Then what would Miss Bael wish to know first?"
She wasn't sure if he'd feed her bullshit or give some reasonable answer, but Luna decided that either way she'd learn something. "Namely, the reason why you decided to speak to me in the first place. It's somewhat unusual for a Marquis Pillar of such renown to approach a commoner, isn't it? Even if that commoner was personally invited by Lord Beelzebub himself."
"Ah." The blond nodded slowly, eyes drifting shut. "Yes, that does fall into line with what I mentioned earlier, about family matters. You are aware of my mother's surprising level of fertility for a Devil, correct?"
The brunette nodded back. "I was made aware of the Phenexes seeing this Devil equivalent to the American Baby Boom and wanting to take advantage of it to strengthen their bloodline."
"An... interesting comparison, but a rather accurate one regardless." Ruval's eyes reopened, and he glanced over at the door. "Lord and Lady Phenex - my father and mother, respectively, have been making inroads into marriage contracts with other Pillars. While they have takers, talks have been proceeding... slowly. Particularly regarding the Gremory Pillar, and the heiress born to them. Mother and father have been pushing hard to form some sort of contract between us and them, both to strengthen our bloodline and as a reaffirmation of unity between two Pillars with... similar stances on family, with some fundamental differences, but largely differing stances regarding social custom."
"I was taught the current political climate by Lady Leviathan," Luna poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue, pursing her lips in the process. "I already know the details."
"I figured, given the company you came with." Another incline of the Phenex heir's head. "However, based on your reactions tonight, I am certain you do not know the whole story. You see, a few days ago my parents were paid a visit by Lord Lucifer. He'd heard about their talks with Lord and Lady Gremory, and wasn't especially pleased with them trying to push his sister into an arranged marriage. Yet, he also recognized our importance to the Underworld with our Phenex Tears, and wanted to cut a deal where everyone can win. Originally, it was to be a Rating Game between my youngest brother Raiser and Miss Gremory. However, during the meeting he dropped implications that he knew of another individual, one with no particularly special heritage, but with a particular quirk that would make her a legendary figure once she was revealed to the public."
Ruval held up his hand, and with a brief flash of flame a folder appeared, setting it on the table to slide toward Luna. She didn't take it.
She didn't need to; she already heard it all from Ajuka during his announcement.
'That.. scum-sucking son of a...'
"So he sold me to buy his sister's freedom. Is that it?"
At Ruval's nod, he opened his mouth to say something before Luna held up her hand.
"I think I know how it went from here. Sirzechs went and persuaded your parents using Lord Beelzebub's research, including footage of a time that I used 'Worldweave', to pursue me instead of Rias. And then, after grabbing their attention and interest, offered to work with them to convince Zekram Bael to use his power as patriarch of the Bael house in order to go over my parents in creating a marriage contract?"
"...You catch on quick," the blond confirmed, lifting a brow. "For someone who says they aren't cut out for the cloak and dagger, you're rather good at deduction."
"Occam's Razor, given what I know of Sirzechs." Or at least, what she thought she knew. Lunarunn sighed, a deep and tired one, and shook her head. "So your parents asked you to seek me out and try to court me?"
"They decided I was the best equipped to do so. You weren't born a Devil, so you don't fully understand just how incredibly desirable someone like you would be for any Pillar and their standing, despite not having any yourself."
Luna lifted a hand to her nose and pinched it. "No, but I can at least glean a modicum of understanding. So from a Devil who doesn't get it to one that does... on a scale of one to gang-rape, how fucked am I?"
Ruval was very glad not to have a drink when that comment came out of nowhere, because otherwise he would have had quite the spit-take. As it was, he spat out air in response, needing a moment to recover. He coughed, then coughed again, into his fist, taken off-guard by the crassness of the brunette's question. "H-how am I supposed to answer something like that?"
"Because given some of the hungry looks I was getting right after Ajuka revealed my bloodline the only reason I wasn't jumped then and there was because I'm still... under protection by the Satans."
She almost said 'supposedly', but Luna bit her tongue on that qualifier at the last moment. Ruval was supposedly a remarkably noble Devil, but she had been learning from this party that just because she knew canon to a degree didn't mean she knew the people in them.
She knew better than to take the risk. After all, Devils are Devils are Devils.
"In all honesty, your initial showing was quite good. Devils respect strength, and you showed you have no qualms with turning nasty if provoked." The Phenex heir inclined his head. "But, to truly cement yourself as an individual who isn't to be trifled with, you will need to build a record of impressive achievements. Or marry into a Pillar, or join a Peerage."
"Have I mentioned how against the idea I am, in either of those last two cases?"
"You have implied it considering your comment regarding 'quality' of suitors, yes." Ruval rubbed his hairline with a finger, thumb on his temple to stabilize his finger, closing his eyes while doing so. "Which means rising to unreachable heights by your own merit. Especially given your recognition value going forward, that will be... difficult."
Her lip twitched, the brunette fighting down a snarl. "I'll do what I must."
"I figured as such." The blond Devil sighed. "You balk at the idea of being chained down, to the point of standing and defy the odds against you in your desire for freedom. On top of that, you are clever, witty, imaginative, in possession of an ability that boggles the mind in its potential, and not unattractive in a physical sense either."
"I appreciate the compliments, but I can't help but feel as though you're getting at something."
The Phenex heir met Luna's gaze with a determined expression. "I am. My mother asked me in no uncertain terms to start courting you, but I have high standards of my own. I said to her that I would only do so if I was impressed with the woman she was asking me to potentially wed."
"And what about the fact that said woman," Luna caught on to what Ruval was getting at, and her own voice grew frustrated as her anger swelled. "Had absolutely no intention of marrying or joining a Peerage, even if it was the original Satan himself trying to force one of those two options on me?"
The Phenex Heir's blue eyes met hers, unflinching in the face of her ire as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small crystalline pendant, the pendant itself being vial with some sort of liquid within. No, not a vial. It was a crystal with a hollow center, specifically so it could hold that liquid. The craftsmanship of the pendant, Luna could already tell, was immaculate. He set it down, saying nothing to carefully watch her reaction.
Luna's eyes widened as she recognized what the liquid was, as well as the meaning behind his placing it on the table.
The surprise quickly turned to a greater fire, and it showed in her narrowing eyes. "Have you even been listening to me? Why the fuck would you give me personally-made Phoenix Tears inside a pendant, which is about as serious an intent to court as a Phenex can give, when I literally just said I had no intention to marry? Especially when chances are Zekram agrees to an arranged marriage anyway?"
Was he insulting her? She felt pretty insulted right now.
"Because regardless of whether or not you are forced to become my bride by your head of house, I want to do this right." Ruval's voice, in comparison to Luna's angry one, was calm, driven, and filled with intent. His steady tone somehow kept the brunette's temper from flaring out of control, and had her instead focus on what he had to say.
It was the second time she felt like this entire discussion had entered a place of ridiculousness, yet said: "...Go on."
An invitation that the Phenex heir took full advantage of. "I understand your reluctance to even bother with courting, particularly after how someone you thought yourself aligned with left you in the cold. I made these Tears, because I knew that if I were to come to the decision to court, it would be to somebody who deserves them. You are... an individual of some personal pull, Lunarunn Bael, and one whose fire has piqued my intrigue. Even should I be rejected in the end, it will at least be after I have done everything I can in order to earn your affections."
The blond tapped the pendant gently, resting his finger on the crystal. "This is not me saying that I am going to woo you despite your disinterest, nor chase you at my parents' behest. This is me asking you to give me the slightest possibility of winning you over. No more, no less. Whether or not you accept it, is entirely up to you."
Ruval lifted his finger from the pendant now, returning it to his lap as he glanced down at his offering, then back up at Luna, nodding once. "You want to be free as you can be, and I refuse to be anything less than completely respectful toward that desire. So the choice is yours."
Silence reigned as Luna mulled over the Phenex's words, glancing between him and the intent to court. Emotions raged within her, a chaotic mix so wild that she wasn't quite able to make heads or tails of most of it beyond what she had been feeling before.
Yet what she was feeling now wasn't quite the same as before. Was she still angry? Yes, certainly, but there was something else there too. Relief, maybe? No, that wasn't quite right. Or was it?
The brunette rubbed her head, knowing that either way she chose, there would be long-lasting consequences. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about Ruval putting her in this position, but neither was she furious about him placing that offering on the table despite her insistence that he just not bother.
She still wasn't keen on the idea that she might have to have kids one day, to satisfy the great Devil overlords. Luna snorted in derision at the very thought of appeasing someone just to appease them.
But still, Ruval had went out of his way to try and make nice with her, and leave the option up to her.
"And what happens if I'm forced into a marriage contract despite not being interested?"
'Devils will be Devils will be Devils.'
God almighty - ow - she was coming to hate how much she was adopting that saying from Uvarys, but it really wasn't wrong.
Ruval closed his eyes, breathing out slowly. "If it does end up, that Lord Bael arranges for us to be wed, and you are still against it, then I will do my duty as the Phenex heir and ensure the bloodline survives to the next generation. But after my duty is complete, you will be free to pursue whomever you choose, while still retaining all the benefits provided from being a lady of the household. On this I swear by my pride as the heir of the Phenex Pillar."
...It was about as much as Luna could expect. Anything more would mean he's going against one of the core tenets of the Phenex - keeping their bloodline strong - and anything less would have had her storming out of the room in disgust. It was a carefully crafted middle ground, and as good an answer as he could make considering how loaded the question she gave him was.
Whether that was because he honestly respected her wishes that he'd skirt the edges of Phenex tradition or because he knew he would have to give ground to keep her from walking away, she wasn't sure, which made the decision no easier to make than it was before.
But a decision had to be made, and it had to be made now.
Lunarunn breathed in, and then breathed out, crossing her arms beneath her breasts as she delivered her answer.
"I..."
A/N:
Couple reviews to cover real quick. Three, two, one, go!
Hope Luna doesn't forget Ajuka's betrayal? Considering what's been going on, it's definitely going to have a lingering effect.
Poke the bear? Sorta? This be bizzarro DxDverse, at this point in time at the very least.
Y no nuclear 'splosion to 'splode Ajuka? 'cuz Luna would end up 'sploded too. Plus she's still way, way below him in terms of... just about everything combat-related. Ajuka's been by Sirzechs's side through the worst of both wars, and if I recall properly he's also powerful enough to be in the Top Ten. It might actually be Falbium but I'm pretty sure the canon reason he isn't is because he's too busy sleeping. Still, the fact that I'm not sure which of the two are more powerful is telling; additionally, these characters are superior to Serafall, whose power would let her destroy Japan without even trying (assuming no other supernatural intervention). Even if Luna did use the atom to attack and fired it off before Ajuka ended her, there's no guarantee it'll even cripple him. Will she get the control necessary to be able to do such attacks without risk of harming herself? She's a psychokinetic in the purest sense, so while a simple 'yes' doesn't tell the whole story it does answer this question sufficiently.
Ah, that last one was a bit longer than expected.
Big-ass report due in two weeks, even bigger-ass report in three. I might not get much done as school starts to wrap up. Fair warning, in advance.
Also, it's been three months since I started this fic. Holy shit. Last time I tried making a fanfic I didn't even get past week two. Progress, I guess!
Couple sentences I hadn't finished before moving on, and hadn't fixed yet. They should be fixed now.
Tempura Wizard out.
