NMHA Ch. 16 - The Next Step Forward
Lunarunn Bael's hand reached out for the pendant, setting her own hand on it before sighing and shaking her head.
"I can't."
At the Phenex's confused expression, she continued. "At least, not without clearing the air, first. You've been honest with me. It's only fair that I do the same."
The confusion seemed to increase, but the disappointment that had been growing on his expression died away in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Time to make or break. Luna was finding herself in this situation way too often. But she had an inkling of how to go about this, render her 'service' to the Maou completed, obtain the protection of a Marquis Pillar, while retain some degree of freedom. Ruval was the good sort of person, right? Then perhaps they could come to an agreement.
"I mean, that Sirzechs wasn't entirely truthful to your parents either. He omitted information that likely would have caused them to throw his deal out the window."
The Blue Phenex's eyes widened, then narrowed.
"That's a big accusation, Miss Bael, particularly toward an ally of my Pillar. What is it about you that would ruin the deal? Are you sterile?"
No, but there was certainly a thought, to head topside and get surgery for that. Would be a real nice way to screw Sirzechs over after playing her like a fiddle...
"Arguably worse." She inhaled, and exhaled. "...Ruval, I don't really know how to put this in any lighter terms... but I don't swing that way."
Silence, as the blond mulled over that response. Finally, after multiple seconds, it clicked.
"Eh?" His brow furrowed. "Wait, wait. You mean, you're... into girls?"
Luna shook her head. "Specifically, yes. Right now, I'm as gay as gay can be."
"...Really, now?" Ruval's tone was flat, disbelieving.
"You want me to go on a perverted tangent about the beauty of women, how their boobs hold the dreams of men, and how their asses light up the life of those able to gaze upon them?" At the Phenex heir's shifting, the brunette interrupted him. "Don't test me, because I absolutely will."
Still, she took the pendant, and stared down at her. Her own expression was deep in thought.
"But even so, I feel the pressure to accept. After your declaration of intent, rebuffing your approach as harshly as just walking out the room would be an insult. And dangerous."
The Phenex's eyes narrowed. "Dangerous... how?"
"Dangerous as in I'm basically Sirzechs's pawn in this game as long as there's a chance for Rias to end up in a marriage contract." She pursed her lips, examining the pendant a little closer, now that she had it in her hands. She could admit, it was a majestic gift, and certainly any other woman would be truly lucky to receive such an earnest intent to court.
Not her, though. She could almost imagine it being a slave's collar. "If I ruin things as far along as they are now... well. I wouldn't be surprised if I have another unfortunate accident. He doesn't take kindly to others even getting close to endangering what he considers his."
Realization dawned on Ruval's face as he realized what she meant. Realization, a brief flash of shame, and then disgust. Whether that was at his own role in Luna's duress, or because of what she was, she wasn't sure. "Then let me take that pendant back, and I can say that after speaking with you I realized it wouldn't work out."
Something told Luna he'd probably burn it afterwards, regardless of what his disgust was aimed at.
"That's kind of you, Lord Phenex." She shook her head. "But that just makes me more affirmed in my decision. I'll accept your declaration of intent."
The Phenex heir didn't reply for several seconds.
"...I'm... confused." Ruval lifted a hand to his head. "Even knowing that you could walk out of here and be none the worse off for declining my gift, you would accept it anyway?"
"You said it yourself. It's you asking me to give you a chance. So that's what I'm doing." Lunarunn glanced back up at Ruval and smiled weakly. "As things stand now, I don't see myself being attracted to you any more than I would a friend. But people change, and what my preferences are now aren't set in stone.
"If you truly want to offer this regardless, on the off chance that one day I come to appreciate men even a fraction as much as I do my own sex, then I will accept your intent, even in the likely event that our period of courtship leads nowhere."
The Phenex heir thought on the brunette's words over several seconds before speaking again. "That... makes this much more complicated."
"I know. If I were straight or even bi this would be a far less difficult scenario to walk through." Lunarunn pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning quietly before letting out another breath. "But... what is, is. I'm happy with liking women. I won't deny there's a chance I might end up liking more than that one day, though. If that does happen, then I might be making a mistake shutting you down here and now."
"So you're banking on the idea that circumstances may change going forward?"
"I suppose you could say that." Luna gently grasped onto her hair, stroking it slowly and watching her hand glide up and down. "You were honest with me, so it's only fair that I return the favor. Will this work out? Survey right now says no. But anything is possible. If you still want to take this pendant back though, then we can pretend the offer never even came up."
Change what you can, and accept what you can't.
"Much like you gave the choice to accept or reject to me, I'll return the favor." She met his gaze, smiling sadly. "Will you still pursue me knowing that you do only have that smallest smidgen of a chance? Are you willing to throw your lot to the wind in hopes that it ends up turning out how you want it to?"
Silence reigned anew, as Ruval looked down, rubbing his jaw in thought. He was a very physical individual, Luna noted. The Phenex heir had done something similar before, with a finger to his hairline.
After nearly a minute passed in silence, he breathed out, long and slow.
"You're... certainly something else, Miss Bael."
"I never denied that."
"No, you haven't." He rose to his feet and spoke again. "I'll agree even knowing the full extent of the situation, under the condition that I am allowed to court others as well."
Luna nodded, already seeing the benefits from such an offer from her end, as well as his. Nothing like a shared deception to give breahing room.
"I have no problem with that as long as I can pursue my own romantic interests."
"Then we've an accord." Ruval smiled briefly, before his expression turned serious again. "Which brings me back to my own question - what was it that Lord Astaroth said that made you leave so quickly?"
That was easy enough to explain. "He was going on about being progressive in Devil society even beyond what the Satans already are the face of. There's a few things I agreed with there, but eventually it got to be a bit much."
All true, but it failed to explain the whole story. Still, that was about as much as she could say without risking further trouble.
How would he take to learning that Diodora likely wanted to have Luna act as the face for his agenda of change?
The Phenex Pillar could probably guess anyway. "He has big dreams. I can admire his ambition, but ambition isn't enough without the power to see it done."
"Which is why he tried to proselytize me," the brunette finished. "After all, there's really no telling where I'm going to end up on the food chain, so it makes sense to make nice while I'm still technically growing into my potential."
"At least you understand the ramifications of Lord Astaroth speaking with you."
"How could I not? He seems pretty nice, but I can tell he's got a lot more going on underneath the surface than what that friendly face would suggest."
Again, a truth spun to still be valid despite not fully explaining the matter. She was getting a bit too good at this.
"Did he ask you to declare war on Devilkind, allying with the son of the original Lucifer to destroy society and create a world where instinct reigns supreme once more?"
Now it was Luna's turn to double-take, eyes widening as she stumbled in place, nearly choking on air. "W-what was that?"
'Did he just recite canon?!'
Only to see that there was a mischievous smirk on the blond's face. "Hah, I'm joking of course. I've heard some of his ideals such as focusing less on the political posturing and more on spreading our wings individually. I can see where he's coming from, but a lot of it is just talk. By his own ideals, we're creatures of ambition, and grow in ability the more we follow them. Isn't it strange then that he would speak so firmly about those ideals but still be weaker than the best of us?"
Luna... was of that, actually. She knew instinct was the main drive-train of a Devil's power, but the Astaroth heir hadn't elucidated her to the idea that having a goal and wholeheartedly striving toward it would in turn increase that Devil's potential for power.
Did Diodora try to play her too?
"And how do I know that you're not trying to steer me in some direction too?"
"You can't. Because we all want others to do certain things. We all want to see what's best for ourselves." He walked toward the door. "That's just how society works - it is the give and take between personalities as people, and as groups."
The Phenex heir placed his hand on the doorknob, thinking over what he was to say next, before nodding. "And when something new appears, oftentimes it ends up being used, spent, and then discarded once the next big thing rolls around. Especially these days."
"That's pretty pessimistic of you."
"I would call myself more of a realist. I suppose that's why I decided to agree to the courtship despite your leaning." He turned his head to meet Luna's gaze again, and smiled thinly. "Because out of any of us here, you are the one with the greatest ability to rock the boat due to just how unique you are. And as much as I'm happy with how things have turned out for me and mine, sometimes it is the least of us who bear the ability to make things better for us all."
Unbeknownst to Luna, a smile had appeared on her own face. "Noblesse Oblige?"
"But of course. We as a people are only as strong as the least of us, so what does it say when we treat someone with such potential as a bargaining chip for a Pillar's continued support?"
"...Does that mean that you're going to confront Sirzechs?"
"Not at all." Ruval shook his head, albeit slowly. It must have been a tempting prospect, at least. "He lied to my family in order to save his own from a contract he saw as would impede on the freedom of his sister. Tried to have it both ways, so to speak. My honor will not let the insult stand, so he will get his comeuppance eventually. I refuse to put the woman I am courting at risk for petty revenge, though."
The brunette smirked. "Then perhaps I might be able to help set the record straight."
A smirk that Ruval returned, fitting easily onto his normally earnest face. "I would hope so, because I can't help but imagine you will want your own pound of flesh. And working together does tend to produce results greater than the sum of its parts."
"Well, you aren't wrong there." Luna laughed, finally feeling like something had gone right in this damned gala. "So I presume you'll let me know when our first... 'courtship' session is to start?"
She got a nod in turn before the seal granting them privacy broke, and Ruval left the room.
"Might I have a word with you, Lord Astaroth?"
Diodora, who had remained seated with his Queen and had been speaking with her, glanced up at the green-haired individual who had asked the question, and his easy smile reformed almost immediately. "Please, no need for formalities. You're my cousin, aren't you? Grab a drink, take a seat, and we can discuss what brings you to Tara and my little corner of the Gala tonight."
"I'm more here on official business, so I will have to decline," Ajuka replied, hands respectfully behind his back even as his eyes shifted to gather as much information about Diodora's and Tara's body language as possible. "I wanted to speak with you about whatever it was that caused Miss Bael to leave so suddenly from whatever discussion you were having."
"A rather unfortunate circumstance," the Astaroth heir shook his head sadly. "She seems to get what I was trying to say, but she seemed spooked by the idea that she'd be placed at the front of something else big. You sure must have hurt her something fierce with the unexpected announcement. Once bitten, twice shy, yes?"
Tara glanced over at her King and bit her lip, before resting a hand on his arm. Diodora looked back at her, and sighed.
"Perhaps that was a dig not warranted. I can imagine you wouldn't alienate someone so unique as Miss Bael without good reason."
Ajuka frowned. Diodora had taken control of the conversation right off the bat, and reminded him just why he hated realpolitik. "I don't see why I should need to explain my actions to you, Lord Astaroth."
"Of course, I never said that you did. I was merely expressing my concerns for the reasoning behind it." He breathed out a sigh. "I can't help but wonder though, if you knew what was likely going to happen if Miss Bael had failed to make the impact she had."
Ajuka knew. That's why he felt guilty about it initially, but Luna had managed to adapt and overcome the challenge of leaving a good first impression magnificently.
It wasn't the first time he'd felt bad for siding with Sirzechs, but this time was a bit more poignant than the other occasions.
"Though it does make me curious, why you would go so far as to not even inform her of the fact beforehand," the teal-haired young Devil continued, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "Especially since I am sure you would want your - what did you call her again? - Reincarnation Anomaly to become as big a deal as possible. If she had lost her composure up there she would have been torn apart, and reduced to breeding stock."
"But she hadn't."
"But she hadn't," Diodora agreed. His head lowered slightly, and his eyes opened to reveal a sharp glare. "But she was going to. I could tell in her most immediate reaction to your unveiling her bloodline. So why the hell did she end up acting like the perfect little flytrap onstage? Sweet-seeming, but dangerous? She is undoubtedly all that, but I could tell she was dancing to someone else's tune on that podium."
Ajuka's own eyes widened, before narrowing as well. "So you could see it too?"
"Considering how much I dabble in mind magics, I know a compulsion when I see one," Diodora ground out lowly. "And moreover, I have a good idea how it got there in the first place."
"And how do you know that?"
The teal-haired man breathed in, closing his eyes to collect himself, before opening them and exhaling, shifting his gaze over to Tara. She blushed, and glanced away.
"Considering how I use them, to see that sort of magic on others is a given."
The Beelzebub Maou glanced between, eyes turning cold as ice as he focused in on Diodora.
"Are you implying you brainwash your Queen regularly?"
That caused Diodora and Tara both to stand up, both clearly offended by the implications.
"Absolutely not," the King of the two snarled back. "I'm appalled - no, furious even - you even think that is the nature of our relationship."
"Feel free to check my mind for any lingering influences, Lord Beelzebub," Tara continued, steely gaze practically daring Ajuka to do so, her normally casual countenance all but gone. "I think you will find yourself quite abashed at what you find."
Seeing as he had crossed a line, the green-haired man backed off. "My apologies. Seeing how it has affected others has left me with a less than glowing opinion of mind magics."
Slowly sliding back into his seat, Diodora lifted up a glass of wine and started circling it in his hand. "I can understand your concern, cousin, but I hold myself to a standard where my distaste for their misuse is probably as great as yours."
"Is that so?"
"I was the one to suggest that he practice with me, Lord Beelzebub," Tara affirmed, finally sitting back down herself. "So to see a choice I made questioned in such a manner is a frustrating matter."
The Astaroth heir set the glass back down. "The point is, until Miss Bael was revealed to us tonight, the only individuals in the Underworld who have had contact with her are the Maou and whomever is close to them. So to see her anger bottled up not of her own choosing, so she could put on a fine showing for her debut, is somewhat alarming."
"You mean to say you have nothing to do with it?"
"I wouldn't go into someone else's head without their express permission. Why else do you think I remain low on the ladder for Rating Games? My talents lie not in the spectacle of magical might that most Devils seem to enjoy, but the smaller, subtler things."
"Including a respect for what those things focus on?"
"I'm insulted you would think otherwise," Diodora coldly rebutted. "And to be quite clear, this is exactly the sort of thing I do not approve of in Devil society. That your prize pet project, someone with potential that I'm sure you still haven't fully uncovered, ended up being made a puppet to some form of compulsion, and yet you're searching to pin the blame on someone else. You've grown complacent, cousin."
Ajuka twitched. "I know that. Which is why I'm gathering information. Miss Bael may not want my help hunting down the culprit, but that does not mean I won't do my own searching."
"So you do suspect I may have had something to do with it."
"I never said that."
"You haven't, though you all but accusing me of raping my Queen's mind like I'm the reincarnation of the original Dantalion says enough."
That left the two at a tense standoff, Ajuka staring down at Diodora, whose eyes held firm even under the gaze of a Maou.
"You said it, not me," the green-haired Maou spoke softly.
"And just like I said that, I will say this: I would rather die, than abuse my sole talent in such a way," Diodora spoke just as softly in return.
Ajuka turned away. "Then I hope you won't mind if I hold you to that."
As the Beelzebub walked off, clearly not inclined to discuss further with his old Pillar's current heir, Diodora turned to his queen and inclined his head. "I'm sorry that you had to see that."
"It's fine. You didn't know he was looking into whatever was up with Luna." The blonde beamed, a visage that visibly put the Astaroth heir more at ease before continuing. "Though I do have to wonder... is that part of why you spoke with her, to see for yourself what might have been manipulating her?"
"Something like that." He gazed over to the room where Luna and Ruval had entered, noting that Ruval had just left with his brow drawn, clearly deep in thought. No sign of Luna, however. "There's something about her that piques my interest. I get the feeling that she's hiding... something."
"Like what, that she was a guy before winding up in that body?" Tara snickered lightly at her joke. The very thought was rather ridiculous. "Oh my. Lord Diodora, has someone else managed to catch your interest?"
"Ha, ha," the Astaroth heir rolled his eyes and shook his head in bemusement. "Only in the intellectual sense. You know I've eyes only for you."
"Would that mean you'd be jealous if I decided to go have some... fun with her, one of these days? I could certainly tell she was interested."
Diodora froze, save a hand flying to his mouth, hearing something click in his mind as the image of those two women, panting, naked, and sweaty, skin flushed red against each other appeared in his mind's eye, and looked down to see his hand come away red.
He quickly replaced that hand with a tablecloth, internally apologizing to whatever servant would have to clean out the bloodstains. "Tara, what did I say about provoking my imagination at the gala?"
"Not to?" She fluttered her lashes innocently. "Whoops, my mistake. I guess you'll have to punish me when we return home~"
"It's times like these that I wonder how I fell for you."
"You're the one who helped me become more open with the person I am, my lord," Her smile was utterly saccharine in its mischievousness. "I would think you'd have built up a tolerance to someone like me by now."
"Hah. What does it say that I feel like the ex-nun is the lewdest person in this entire place...?"
"That you have good taste? Or that you have a pair of eyes?" The smile dropped to a more earnest smirk, a finger lifting to her lips as one eye drifted shut. "Either way, you wouldn't change that for the world, would you?"
Nope. The Astaroth heir could easily agree to that.
"Oh, there she is now."
Diodora turned to see what Tara was talking about, noting her discreet gesture toward the room that Ruval had left, with Lunarunn now taking her leave of it as well... with something new.
A pendant, masterfully crafted, hung around her neck, which she was staring at with an expression of thought much like the one the Phenex heir had borne as he left the side room.
He knew exactly what that pendant entailed.
Ruval was a fine example of what a Devil could be, but Diodora himself wasn't quite keen on the Phenex himself. Whether it was the way he held himself or the way he rarely used his influence, the Astaroth heir held a little bit of resentment for Ruval for falling into the same trap as most Devils seemed to.
So he felt a little disappointed that the 'Reincarnation Anomaly' had accepted the Phenex heir's 'gift'. It meant that she would have to deal with the politics of courtship atop everything else. But similarly, he recognized an opportunity as well.
If Luna had decided she'd play the role she was given, then perhaps she might be inclined to help his own goals from the inside.
His gaze turned back over to Tara, who clearly wanted to go and speak with Luna again, but remained in place. Then, Diodora smiled as best he could around the cloth held up to his nose, which he checked again and discreetly set down. "Go right ahead. If you think you can make Miss Bael see from our point of view better than I can, help yourself."
Lunarunn was counting the minutes until she could leave.
Looking back down at the pendant Ruval gave her, she could feel it weigh heavily on her. Not as heavy as chains would, but still heavy. It stood as a constant reminder of where she stood now.
Someone to be courted. Someone to try and claim. And while the pendant wasn't as big a claim as a ring would be, it was an effective way for Ruval to say that he was directly interested in testing their compatibility without having to announce it like Ajuka had her bloodline. That alone would drive off a lot of the 'lesser' Devils that were under the impression they wouldn't be able to match up.
The brunette liked to think she wasn't so shallow as to submit to a higher power for something like status, power, clout, or wealth, even if her body was somewhat rebellious against her mind in regards to power, but she welcomed the significant lessening of approaches nonetheless.
Though she still got just as many looks as before, and more even. It wasn't every day that the 8th Rating Game King, and the heir to a Marquis Pillar, expressed his interest in a woman, and a commoner at that.
At this point, she felt less like a target and more like a trophy, and even if she liked the lack of approaching Devils it didn't exactly change the way she was being perceived as.
Luna didn't like it.
"Hey, Lunarunn, could I have a word with you?"
'Hm?'
She turned around to see the blonde ex-nun from before approaching her, inclining her head with a slow smile. "No need to make it private or anything. I'd just like to get to know you a bit more."
The brunette wasn't against the idea, but considering who she was Queen to Luna was decidedly wary. Still, to deny her request would be rude, and she wasn't willing to burn bridges quite yet.
Particularly if it turned out Tara was being abused in one way or another. This could be her way in.
So Luna smiled back, and gave the ex-nun a nod in turn. "Sure thing. Should we go get some drinks, or...?"
"I am a little parched right now," the Astaroth Queen admitted, gesturing for Luna to lead the way. "Something to... wet my throat, wouldn't be a bad idea."
The way she said it caused images to briefly flash through Luna's head, none of them unpleasant in the slightest. However, she waved them aside to walk over to the drinks with Tara, taking two glasses of water and holding one out to the blonde.
"Thank you, dear." Tara smiled, taking the proffered glass and sipped at it with a trained elegance. She lowered it, then inclined her head at Luna. "I'm not really one for all the cloak and dagger, as you put it before, so I'll be straight to the point. Why do you seem so wary around my King?"
The bodyjumper blinked, clearly taken aback by the direct line of questioning, before letting out a small huff, eyes sliding shut as a small smirk grew across her face. "Straight to the point indeed. Did Diodora ask you to come and figure out why he makes me want to punch his face in?"
"I wanted to know because I don't see what he would have done to elicit such a reaction. He just asked me to keep him in the loop, something I am more than fine with."
Luna's eyes reopened, and the smirk fell away. Fine, if they wanted the truth, she'd give them an... abridged version, of it. Maybe it would stand as a warning for Tara herself. "I've met someone like him before."
"Like him? You mean back when you were human?"
The brunette nodded. "Yeah. Real nice dude at first glance. Had zero issues getting along with him, even ended up being friends for years. Easygoing, cheerful, always seemed to have a smile on his face. He had some... unique tastes, but beyond his passion for that nothing seemed out of the ordinary."
"I take it by the 'seemed' comment, that wasn't actually the case?"
Tara was paying attention, a brow lifted slightly.
Lunarunn shook his head. "Not entirely. I wasn't there to see it for myself, but I heard that he ended up being really abusive. Messed up the girl he was seeing pretty bad, forced her into things she didn't want to be in. Worst part was... he didn't think he'd done anything wrong, either."
"And how does my King remind you of that person again?" Ah, the blonde's voice had turned tart and short. Luna had touched a nerve.
"He reminds me of that person because... if I hadn't met that other person before, I would have guessed from their personalities that they were one and the same, at least in public."
Silence again, leaving Luna to drink her water to help allay the suspense as Tara mulled over her words.
"I... suppose, I can see what you mean," the Queen started slowly. "At least as far as the surface level goes, they do sound pretty similar."
"So pardon me if that memory has me rather leery around those types of people," the brunette finished, lowering her water glass again. "Ideally, I'd steer clear of anyone who acts like that, but considering that you've decided to pay me a visit, I'm gonna assume I caught his interest somehow."
"I won't deny that he's not curious about you, but I will take offense at the idea that my King made me come over here to chat."
Luna lifted a brow, not believing that line for a moment. "Really, now? And how am I supposed to know that he isn't an abusive King behind closed doors? I can't exactly see where you might end up bruised with that repurposed nun's garb."
Tara's eyes flared, and she stiffened, clearly trying to stop herself from doing something, before breathing out a slow sigh. "You know, perhaps you're right. Maybe we should rectify that issue, at some point, where you'll be able to examine every inch of me, and see that my King has been nothing but a complete gentleman."
It sounded like a proposition, but the tone with which the blonde had said it in made it clear she was not at all happy with the idea. No, not that... rather, that she was angry that Luna was so dead-set on hating Diodora.
"Hm. Perhaps I will. But until then, I wouldn't trust Lord Astaroth to so much as get me a drink in a crowded room."
"You..." The Queen slowly breathed in, and out, and then did so again, before finally speaking again. "You're making it very hard to get along with you, you know that?"
"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm just sick and tired of people around me turning out to be self-centered assholes who want nothing more than to use me to fulfill their own desires."
"Well you definitely picked the wrong choice of profession then."
"Excuse me?" Now it was Luna's turn for her temper to erupt, though she was mercifully able to keep her voice down. "In case you didn't notice, I was perfectly content just to do my own part and wow the crowds with my 'amazing' new abilities and then go home and make use of my five minutes of fame. I didn't ask to become a sack of fuckmeat to any Devil with a dick and a dream."
"And I'm trying to say that my King is not like that!"
"And how am I supposed to know that? It's not like I know what Diodora does behind closed doors."
"Exactly!" Tara gestured at Luna, leaping on that point immediately. "You've already based your opinion on Lord Diodora so firmly because of a past bad experience you're not even giving him a chance to prove he's a good person."
'Because he's not!'
Luna grit her teeth, barely keeping herself from saying that out loud. The tang of copper brushed across her tongue, and she realized she'd bitten her lip enough to bleed.
Her reaction was enough to cause Tara to frown, brow furrowing in confusion. "...Do you know something I don't?"
Yes.
But she couldn't exactly share it.
Especially not to Diodora's Queen.
"...No." Even Luna knew how unconvincing her response was, and the blonde's scowl returned.
"Then I see no reason for you to not at least spend time to get to know him, and come to see that Lord Astaroth is an Angel among Devils."
She almost laughed at the analogy. No, as far as Luna was concerned, Diodora was a Devil amongst Devils, just waiting to drag another poor soul into the abyss.
Luna refused to be the next.
Yet... she couldn't exactly refuse to so much as spend time with him now that the argument had been steered in this direction, could she? If Luna kept hammering the point home that she wanted nothing to do with the Astaroths she'd just look childish, and that in turn would hurt her status, making her more vulnerable to the pressures that other Pillars might put on her.
At least the other Devils had stayed well enough away that her and Tara's conversation had been... mostly unheard, at least enough that they only got a couple odd looks beyond the usual glances. Luna was already vulnerable enough, and even her agreement with Ruval would only go so far.
"...Fine," she bit out. "Fine, I'll take a bite out of the Tree of Knowledge's fruit, if you're so damn insistent."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not Samael in your analogy."
'No, that's just your damn King.'
Her silence was telling, as Tara turned around. "I'll go and let him know you're amenable to a meeting. It's been a... time, talking to you."
Then the blonde walked off.
...That did not go as Luna had hoped.
She looked up at a nearby clock and sighed, realizing that she could finally leave and made to go do just that.
Lunarunn had had enough of this literal damned gala anyway.
"I don't like this."
"I know you don't. But it had to be done."
"Had to be done... do you realize what would have happened had failed to leave a lasting impression on the audience?"
"But she didn't."
"Only because she was being manipulated by someone else, and I know it couldn't have been you; you haven't spoken with Luna since before the party was declared!"
"I know. She's such a temperamental individual, if she hadn't been manipulated then Miss Luna would have drowned in this snake pit before she even started swimming."
"...You know exactly who the culprit is, don't you?"
"Considering that making sure Miss Luna would keep her composure for her initial reveal was their idea, and I was the one to sign off on it, it would be concerning if I didn't."
"Why all the secrecy anyway? Why not just let her know ahead of time?"
"Because she needs to learn to walk on her own."
"Wha...? How does that make any sense?"
"Tell me, Ajuka. What do you see when you look at Lunarunn Bael?"
"What are you getting at?"
"Just bear with me here."
"I see... a spark. Someone with a drive to do much, reach heights beyond even her current reckoning."
"I see that too. But she's also an indolent Devil. Whether that's because of her upbringing, if it's a secondary Sin, or something else, Lunarunn is a very reactionary type of individual. I imagine if she didn't have some reason to grow strong, she wouldn't even try at all."
"So... what, this is to give Lunarunn a target to gun for?"
"This is to give her reason to keep going, and keep growing. If she's really what your experiments suggest, then a great calamity is coming, and we need all the powerful allies we can get to ensure our survival. Making the Satans her adversary means she'll already be aiming for the top and will strive to surpass everything else."
"I have to state that I do not agree with screwing her over like we did, even if it is to 'help her grow'."
"Everything I do, it is all for my family."
"Even if it means throwing a young girl to the wolves?"
A hand lifted up a wine glass, red hair reflected in the white wine before the liquid slid into the mouth of the awaiting Devil.
He set the now empty glass down, looking around at the all but empty hall, save for the servants who were now cleaning up after the party and two of the biggest names in the Underworld.
"Even if it means tossing her into the crucible of Hell itself. It's up to Luna to forge herself into something greater than what she is now."
A/N:
Holy shit that's a lot of reviews in the span of 12 hours, and a lot over a week compared to before, what the fuck-
I guess I did something big with the previous chapter, huh? ...Admittedly, Diodora looking like a decent person is a pretty big thing. And Ruval offering courtship took the cake. All in all, it looks like people are getting invested in the story, and it makes me so happy to see that!
It does look like regardless of whether or not Luna took the offer, it's going to have feedback. And that's fair; a story with such contentious topics like a character's sexuality, and the give and take between it and the world around them, is going to have its moments of discomfort. So, I can completely understand if some of you decided to leave.
I do think it should be stated though that sexual preference isn't a set in stone thing - it can change over time, just as people do. Like I said before, I'm leaving the option of Lunarunn becoming interested in men as a complete open end. It could go either way, and I think it should remain that way, at least until the story develops further.
...I say that, even after breaking 100k words with this chapter. I can't help but be amused by the fact.
Even if it's framed as easily as a 'just take it, what can go wrong' question like Ruval's offer was, Luna was damned either way. She knew full well that just agreeing would chain her to the Phenexes, and she knew that rejecting Ruval could end with her meeting an unfortunate accident a la meddling Maou.
So she struck a middle path. Tell the truth, but accept the offer, and place herself as an ally in making Sirzechs pay for overstepping his bounds.
Ironically, Sirzechs trying to have it both ways - having the Phenexes as a staunch ally whilst keeping Rias free from marriage contracts - opened the opportunity for Luna to benefit significantly. She's tied herself to the Phenexes with this move, don't get me wrong, but it's a far less restrictive binding than perhaps she was being threatened with, and one easier to break if need be.
And we see a bit more of Diodora and Ajuka interacting, then Diodora and his Queen. And like before, he seems decent? What heresy is this? Well, dear readers, I shall tell you.
See, I don't really buy Diodora being the complete worm he was in DxD canon. Or even that he'd turn out so vile without something driving him deeper into the abyss. At least, I don't feel like he'd be revealed so... quickly. Both because he's pretty closely related to the most intellectually capable Satan and because it was obvious to the naked eye that his Peerage was pretty messed up. Not even messed up in the way that Rias's is in that they all have rough backstories, but messed up as in they've been broken.
Even chalking it up to Devils not really caring doesn't particularly solve the issue. Someone would take notice and be concerned enough to bring it up, and considering how hellbent on peaceful coexistence the Satans are they probably would take heed of repeat offenses of a Devil stealing nuns away only for them to show back up in his peerage glassy-eyed and completely lacking in anything resembling spirit. And considering the breadth of tasks that magic can do in the DxD-verse I strongly doubt Diodora would be able to fly under the radar as long as he managed to without a damn good reason.
So is this Diodora OOC? I suppose you could say that. But, it is for a reason, and you'll just have to keep reading onward to see where I plan to take this particular Devil.
Anyway, sorry for the late chapter. I ended up spending time getting a friend some help with something that happened last night.
Also, end of the Gala arc, with a lot of new plot threads to play with! I look forward to weaving this story together further.
Anyway, Tempura Wizard out.
