NMHA Ch. 17 - Turn the Page


A lot could change in a week, Lunarunn Bael had come to realize.

Being outed as a Devil with a brand new bloodline would definitely stir the waters, and the past week had all but affirmed that her life would not be the same thanks to Ajuka's announcement.

The letters were one thing. At least she could read those at any point she chose, even if there were a lot, and Lunarunn gazed upon the growing pile with trepidation more than once.

Then there was the paparazzi. Luna had expected to draw a lot of attention.

Having the family house all but squatted on by hordes of tabloid reporters looking to get the latest scoop was another matter entirely. Luna - and her parents - had taken to closing the blinds whenever possible.

How they managed to figure out where Luna lived, she was not sure, but she had a feeling it had to do with gossip.

At least none of the tabloid toadies had tried breaking into the house proper.

Yet.

Luna wasn't looking forward to having to send that brainlet to the hospital on principle.

At least her father seemed happy. Seeing how Luna was distressed and needed some comfort after the shitstorm that was the gala, Loedrick had been there to provide, and despite their differences Luna had gladly accepted.

So, that relationship was looking a little stronger. Her mother, on the other hand, was growing increasingly exasperated with the way any of them were more or less harrassed the moment they stepped out of the house - not that Luna could blame her.

She was feeling that same frustration herself.

The brunette had tried arguing toward having them take another vacation from their house until the mania surrounding the new bloodline died down, but that was shut down quickly.

"You're the first Devil to have an inheritable power that isn't derived from one of the Pillar progenitors," Loedrick had warned. "That automatically puts you right up there with the more popular Pillar heirs in terms of attention; you'd need to vanish for years to get the heat to die down. I refuse to leave my daughter alone for that long."

It was a touching notion, but she could see how her presence and the gathering it generated was now causing a great deal of stress to her parents.

Another mark against the 'Super Satan Brothers' for tossing her to the wind like that.

Even the Devils news stations, every single one that Lunarunn had checked, were so obsessed with speaking about her that the birth of two Satan siblings had basically fallen to obscurity.

'Mission fucking accomplished,' she had succinctly summarized within her mind at more than one point.

At least she seemed to be mostly accepted in the eyes of the public. There were those who discussed what her abilities were, who she was as a person, some of her past health records...

She was going to sue whoever disclosed her personal health information onto the streets, though.

Admittedly, there were more conservative sources who were skeptical about her. Her diluted blood, her lack of heritage for her power, the way she ended up carrying herself in the gala...

Honestly though, the brunette thought that the 'conservative' fogies could go shove it, even if she was still livid at the Satans. So she paid those sources no mind.

But, at the center of her burning rage toward was a rather distinct pain of betrayal and abandonment. She'd trusted them, and had spent years working her way into the good graces of Sirzechs and Ajuka, and yet got thoroughly shafted when it suited them best.

Serafall wasn't quite as to blame, in her eyes, but even then Luna had her doubts. She probably helped somehow, since it was Sona at risk of a marriage contract too.

Though for the life of her, Luna wasn't able to wrap her head around how. Just that Serafall probably did.

That too was something that bothered the brunette.

Just like she was holding a letter in her hands, an invitation to spend time at the Astaroth estate and explore their library. Who it was sent by was the reason she was bothered by it.

Luna wasn't quite sure how Diodora had learned she was someone who enjoyed reading and learning about magic, but she would readily admit that it was a tempting offer.

The rat bastard seemed almost Machiavellian in how easily he was able to pinpoint what would be most appealing to her. The knowledge in the Astaroth library, especially given that it was Ajuka's birth family, must be truly enormous.

Plus, there was the fact that she had all but been cornered into spending time with him at some point. So there was the added weight of that, which kept Luna from simply shredding the letter into fine dust.

Still, there was also the matter of getting out of this paparazzi cage.

...

'Hmm...'

"You know what?" Luna gave a firm nod to herself, climbing out of bed and stretching, ready to go and get dressed in her usual attire. "Yeah, I'll go spend time with the serial rapist. That seems like the lesser of two evils."

...She really hoped her parents weren't nearby when she said that.


So that was how Lunarunn found herself accepting the invitation of said Devil, informing her parents she was off to go oblige a Pillar heir who'd invited her to their estate. She then promptly escaped through a teleportation circle conveniently inscribed into the invitation itself, bypassing the paparazzi entirely.

Something she appreciated, though it also came with the rather grim realization that she'd have to interact with Diodora Astaroth for an undetermined amount of time.

The brunette found herself in the foyer of the Astaroth house after a brief flash of light, looking around and taking note of the Greco-Roman-esque pillars that held up the high ceiling, though unlike the gala this building's architect went for a cool, calming interior, with soft greenish light shining through the painted glass of a chandelier, giving everything a slightly underwater feel to their appearance, including the gracefully curving linework on the walls and the rounded look of the foyer itself. While it gave Luna more and more of an impression of she was in enemy territory in even the very ambiance...

"Seems more like a palace for Poseidon than a home for the Astaroths."

"You think? I can't say I'm too surprised; after learning about the Greek pantheon I asked that same question to my instructor. Poor woman fell over laughing as the same thing had been on her mind."

And speak of the Devil... Luna's gaze shifted up to the next floor, where Diodora's squinted-eye expression and smile were once again on his face, though she could clearly tell his focus was on her.

One hand, the other resting on the second-floor handrail overlooking the foyer, rose to wave her way. "I appreciate your coming here. I know that my Queen didn't give you much choice in the matter in the way she twisted your arm over it, but that doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you."

"I'm only here because I need to be," she replied, voice plain and flat. "And to get away from the paparazzi."

"Ah." The Astaroth heir grimaced. "Yes, I can imagine that an opportunity to be somewhere else away from that crowd would be taken regardless of your feelings toward me in particular."

"Quite."

"Well, let's not keep you standing there forever. Come on; I'll show you to the library."

Diodora turned around, waving for her to follow now, which Luna did... by using the winds to lift herself onto the second floor, landing quietly behind the teal-haired Devil.

Was it a snub to do so? Perhaps. She didn't really care, though.

She got a lifted brow from Diodora in response, but otherwise he didn't seem overly perturbed either.

As they walked, Luna noted multiple servants moving around, doing various housekeeping tasks as was probably necessary for a building as large as a direct Pillar family's main house.

As they got close, she noted that the servants had paused whatever they were doing to bow their way, Diodora making a friendly wave at them in turn.

As they passed, the brunette noted that once she and the Pillar heir moved on the servants close to each other into whispers, with tones that denoted curiosity even if Luna couldn't hear what they were saying specifically.

"Oh, my apologies," Diodora suddenly spoke, glancing back at Luna again. "Did you want anything? A snack, or perhaps something to drink?"

"Pure alcohol, on the rocks."

The smile turned wry. "Daring today, aren't we?"

"I can't believe I'm even going through with this, to be quite honest. I feel like I would need to be absolutely blitzed to even try and justify visiting you."

"What about the paparazzi back at your house?"

Luna stopped, took a deep breath in, then started walking again. "Now that's just not fair and you know it."

"Hah!" Diodora barked out a short laugh. "Perhaps not, but that doesn't make it any less true."

As they walked further along, the brunette finally conceded. "Fine. Some juice would be nice."

"My family often frequents a vineyard in Italy, we got a fresh batch of grapes just a couple days ago. You and I could take a detour to the kitchen so you can see your juice being made."

"...That would be pretty cool." She was admittedly curious how Devils ended up making a drink like that. Did they use machines? Magic? Some combination of the two?

Truth was often stranger than fiction, and after some time just watching the Astaroth servants crush the grapes and funnel the juices into a pitcher, Luna had come to the conclusion that the same applied to how they made their drinks.

She swirled the pitcher in her hand as the two exited the destination of their detour. "Hey, real quick question for ya. Why not use magic to simply extract the juice from the grapes, and then use the husks for raisins?"

"If we used magic for everything, we'd lose sight of how people without do the same thing with mundane efforts." Diodora glanced over at the drink that Luna had requested, and inclined his head. "Plus, there's always something a little more fulfilling about seeing something finished after working hard on it."

"You say that like you were the one to make the grape juice."

"You'd be surprised."

Luna almost laughed at the thought. Diodora, slaving away in the kitchen? It was so against what she knew of him that even then a sardonic smirk forced its way on her face.

"Pardon me if I find that hard to believe."

"Truth is often stranger than fiction."

"Bull, you absolutely seem like the kind of person who'd let someone else do that for you."

"Perhaps I would," Diodora allowed, turning a corner. "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't give something back in return for their efforts. I like to play by the rule of reciprocation."

"Then why aren't you sniping back at me?" Why even try to win her over when she wasn't fooled by his facade?

"Because you knew someone who's a lot like me, who ended up being an absolute tool." One of Diodora's eyes opened, and met Luna's with a surprisingly earnest gaze. "Tara gave me the basics of what you two discussed. Unlike her though I can't blame you for being wary of me, only act in such a way as to prove that you don't need to be."

The brunette huffed, crossing her arms beneath her bust. "Good fucking luck with that."

His eye closed again, and the smile widened. "Why thank you. Considering how intent you are on thinking ill towards my personage, I may very well need it."

Cheeky bastard. Her lips quirked upward, though she forced them back down immediately afterwards.

"Just shut up and bring me to the library."

"So forceful," the teal-haired man lamented, tilting his head back and holding the back of his hand to his forehead even as he obliged. The exaggerated airs suggested he'd noticed Luna's own face betraying her. "What have I done to deserve such intense attention from a maiden such as yourself?"

Ohhhhhh, Lunarunn could tear into him for that one. And it was tempting, so, so very tempting.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"No, you don't." He said it casually, but Diodora's demeanor had changed almost instantly, turning from a merry one to a contemplative one. "But that doesn't mean I can't come to a conclusion regardless. Of course, chances are really good that I'd be wrong, and that whatever issue you have with me could be a permanent wedge in any sort of interaction we have going forward."

"You say that as though you had a chance of getting on my good side in the first place."

Luna blinked, then groaned as she lifted her hand to her face. "I said that aloud, didn't I?"

"Quite." The Astaroth heir's voice had gone dry, though he hadn't stopped moving, stopping by a wide set of doors and placing his hand on it. A magical seal, one that Luna recognized as the House of Astaroth, shone momentarily before the doors began to open.

The library within put the one in Lunarunn's own house to shame; books upon books were layered on massive shelves, rising up stories. Just the sheer scale alone stunned her into silence, as did the very atmosphere of the place.

Quiet, discerning, accepting, regal, and more, all those traits that Luna could consider erudite she could feel in the very air.

"It is pleasing that you appreciate the family library, at least," she heard Diodora say, holding the door open for Luna as she stepped through the entryway to the hallowed halls. "You have some drool on your lower lip."

That snapped the brunette out of the daze she'd entered, wiping the bit of saliva away before glaring at the teal-haired man, who simply faced her in turn.

Then he spoke. "Before I let you peruse the library here to your heart's content, let's sit down and talk over whatever... this, problem you have with me is."

'He really isn't going to let the matter go, huh?'

"Fine, if only because I get the feeling that you won't take no for an answer."

"I'm glad we're on the same page."


Lunarunn lifted the pitcher up, pouring the freshly-squeezed juice into a glass already placed on the table, watching intently as the rich red fluid filled the pristine chalice. The pitcher in her hand soon found itself replaced with the glass, and lifted to her lips.

She really, really didn't want to do this. She'd underestimated just how insistent Diodora would be in trying to figure out why she hated him. The brunette had gone in thinking that if she just showed enough disdain, he'd end up writing her off as a lost cause.

Yet, it seemed she only firmed up his determination to figure out what was setting her against him with that last comment, judging by the way he was just sitting there, smile missing but eyes still squinted near-shut, examining her every move.

"So, how we gonna do this? You gonna say something? Are you waiting for me to say something? Have we already started and you're reading my mind or some shit?"

"While I have no doubt the inside of your mind is something interesting," he started, shrugging slightly, "I have no intention of doing anything with getting into your head. I have standards, after all."

"Would it help if I dressed up in a habit?"

"Ph- hahahaha!" Diodora stuffed his mouth into the crook of his elbow before removing it, a grin on his face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't think that you would be able to look anywhere near natural in the cloth of a holy woman."

"I wouldn't be so sure. I like to think I'm a pretty good actor."

"I mean, considering just how well you managed to keep your wits about you back at the gala I can believe that."

One eye opened, and the smile dropped. "But I could tell you something I did notice while you were up on that podium, if you've any inclination to hear me out."

Luna stilled, her lips twitching slightly before she spoke again. "...You saw too?"

"To be fair, whoever placed a compulsion on you to not flip out then and there was really subtle. Not subtle enough to evade my notice, but still subtle nonetheless."

Oh, for the love of...

"Are you saying your specialty is... mind magic?" Luna said slowly, as if to confirm, setting the glass back down on the table. Slowly.

"The best of the Young Devils, at least." Diodora ran his hair back, other eye opening as his gaze met hers again. "Though I get the feeling you'd be a sly hand at it yourself, what with your 'bloodline' literally involving imposing your will on the world around you. It'd be a simple jump from affecting the world to affecting a person's perceptions."

"You're not giving me any fewer reasons to not walk out of this estate and never come back," Luna supplied drily. "I'm not fond of the idea of anyone mucking around in my head, much less the self-proclaimed 'best mind-mage of the Young Devils'."

"You say that like you suspect I'll try and do something to you."

"I do. Your Queen's nowhere to be found, she could probably be behind me right now just waiting to restrain me before you try and force yourself into my head."

Luna didn't look back, but a swift updraft still burst into existence behind her, before fading away.

"Tara would more likely stick a dagger in my throat then sit by and allow me to do such a thing." Diodora rolled his eyes at the brunette's action, shaking his head as those eyes squinted shut again. "And quite frankly, I'd probably let her."

"The first bit, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. You're a different story, though."

"Hmm. Still so adamant on thinking the worst of me. I would think you'd be a bit more... open-minded."

"Yeah, I'll pass, thanks."

Was it illogical, relatively speaking? Perhaps, but when she knew what she knew, Lunarunn was rather intent on sticking to her guns.

"...Let me guess, it goes back to that person you said you knew."

Luna's eyes slid shut. "...I suppose you could say that."

"Did they abuse you?"

"No, but they did abuse others, and that's enough for me to steer clear of anyone who reminds me pointedly of them."

"Someone you were close with, then. And your reaction's a byproduct of how you feel betrayed by that person." The Astaroth heir was silent for a moment, before continuing. "Their abuse was... bad, wasn't it?"

For a moment, the understatement coming from that very same person caused her frayed composure to slip.

Luna found herself on her feet, teeth bared in a snarl as she glared down at the Astaroth heir. "Yeah it was, especially if the person I'm looking at right now reminds me very poignantly of a manipulative rapist of the highest order. Someone who didn't just get off on forcing himself on others, but by breaking them down until they were little more than things for that person to throw away on a whim! I can't so much as look at you without being reminded of that person, so yeah. I'd say you hit the nail on the fucking head there, great job."

Diodora stared at Luna, eyes wide as he took in what she had to say, the isekai'd Devil all but expecting him to drop the act since she knew all about his interests.

He blinked, looking down at his hands, resting in his lap as they were.

"...That would definitely explain your distaste of me, then," the teal-haired man finally responded, lifting a hand to rub the side of his head. "If I remind you of someone in that sort of way. Yes, I can definitely see how that might immediately set you against me."

Was he still seriously keeping it up? How much more direct could she be without revealing that she knew his dirty little secret to his face?

'That fucking snake... is he trying to provoke me?'

Considering he had invited her, given her a drink, and had been nothing but a good guest, Lunarunn knew that by lashing out she'd put herself in a hole so fast she wouldn't even be able to say 'oops' before she was torn apart publicly and politically.

She wouldn't fall for it, though.

"I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop." The brunette's nose and upper lip twitched, suppressing a sneer with only a modicum of success. "So you can drop the act, Diodora. I know exactly what you are."


This... had not gone quite as planned, Diodora Astaroth deduced.

He knew Lunarunn held little love for him, but he figured it was because he'd set a bad impression somehow.

What confused him about it, however, was the sheer vitriol she bore toward him.

There was a part of him that believed Luna was lying about not being the person who'd been abused in the past, but at the same time he was pretty sure she was being fully honest with him as far as that goes.

Just like how she seemed to legitimately believe that all the little gestures of kindness he'd tried handing out were just part of a plan to get closer to her. She wasn't much of a liar, at least when she got angry, and he seemed to have done quite well at incensing the brunette without even trying.

Not that she was wrong, per se. He did want to try and at least ease the abhorrence that Lunarunn regarded him with.

No, that wasn't quite it. It was like she had a picture of him in her mind that she stubbornly refused to let go of.

And the fact that she seemed to be taking it quite personally...?

Hm. That held implications, though the teal-haired Devil knew better than to speak on them straight away.

Still, what mattered most immediately was that she wanted him to drop the act.

"Well?" Lunarunn demanded, blue eyes cold and hard as ice. "I'm waiting, you sick fuck."

Such fire in her. It was honestly rather charming, even with how fiercely it seemed to blaze out of control in times such as these.


Finally, she saw his composure slip a little, before Diodora's lips turned up into a rather dark-looking smirk.

"Hah. Alright, you got me there." The Astaroth pillar rose from his seat, holding up his hands even as he walked around his chair and then set them on the back of his seat. "I do quite enjoy the feeling of control. The idea that I can take someone's mind, and mold it into something more... fitting. And there is something exciting, about making them wonder whether it's them or me that wanted it."

Luna breathed out a sigh. She couldn't do anything, but at least that was settled. "Finally, we can quit with the bullshit. So you know that I know, and I know that you know I know. Now that everything's in the open, what is it that you brought me here for?"

"To make a proposition or two, actually." One eye opened again as he stepped away, walking around the table toward Luna, who watched him warily. "I don't think you'd accept it, but my Queen has mentioned she'd like to share at least one night with you, even if right now she thinks you could use a major attitude adjustment."

"And you're the one who'd do that, I imagine. No thanks."

"A shame, that. My Queen will be disappointed, at least. Tara always did think that the more there are to partake in such activities, the merrier."

The Worldweaver's eyes slid shut with a snort. "And there you go again with the narrative that you actually give a damn about your Queen. We both know that you don't, really: just that she be a good girl and spread her legs like the slut you made her."

...

The brunette heard a sharp intake of breath at that alongside heavy footfalls. Half a second later she heard a clang and a rumble as what sounded like her glass of juice and the pitcher were spilled from a harshly shoved aside coffee table. A quarter of a second after that and she found herself being yanked to her feet by two hands gripping fiercely at her blouse, eyes widening in surprise to see Diodora's own wide open and glaring at her with utter outrage.

"Alright, now you've gone too far. Listen here, and listen closely you closed-minded, arrogant bitch," the Astaroth heir snarled, lifting Luna partway off the ground as he made sure that they were completely eye-level. "Don't you fucking dare accuse me of taking my Queen and forcing her into becoming the person she is now. I don't give a damn what you think or say about me, but if I hear you insult Tara again then I will declare us sworn enemies that very moment. And I'll be sure to devote my own influence to destroy your political standing."

A heave, and Luna landed back on the chair, wide-eyed as Diodora kept his baleful gaze bearing down on the other Devil. "You want to keep believing that I'll fuck you over if you give me the opening, despite everything you've seen and heard up to now? I don't want to be that person, but believe me when I say that I will if you push me. Tara's had to deal with enough shit in her previous life, so I refuse to sit by and let you cause more."

It took a moment for Luna to recover from the sudden shift, but fired back the instant she did. "Oh yeah? And what was that I was hearing before about you getting off on mind controlling others?"

"The truth." Diodora stepped over and sat back down in his previous seat, eyes squinting shut even if his expression was still sour, nose flared like he'd smelled something unpleasant. "But I never said I was the one who asked to mess with her head."

The brunette didn't buy it. "Bullshit."

"Believe what you will. And say what you will about me." An eye opened again, still angry but not outraged like before. "But I won't stand for you insulting my Queen. Especially when you yourself clearly hold the sanctity of the mind in such high regard."

"The body's the vessel of the mind's the vessel of the soul," Luna affirmed, thumping the top of her sternum with a clenched fist. "I'm living fucking proof of that."

Diodora stared at her with that lone eye for several seconds before it slid shut, the fire that had taken hold of him dying down as he apparently thought things over.

Finally, he spoke, and with it the tone of a minor revelation.

"Perhaps. But there's another reason. You would find yourself in a similar position should you have the chance to, with someone you trust and vice-versa. Wouldn't you?"

'Wait, what...?!'

Luna's brief flinch in shock told Diodora all he needed to know.

"I see." What anger had remained in Diodora seemed to be released with his next long exhale. "You take it personally because the sorts of things I do with my Queen behind closed doors... are the sorts of things you would do too."

The brunette didn't speak, instead gritting her teeth and holding her tongue.

Now the Astaroth heir held his elbow in one hand, and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. "I would call you a fellow Devil of culture, but I doubt you would particularly appreciate if I said that."

"Devils are Devils are Devils," she responded dully. "And considering the things I've learned about the original Dantalion..."

"Especially given you were once human where Devils and demons are typically vilified and your prior experience with someone of my... demeanor, you ended up coming to a rather dark conclusion about me."

Sure. Luna could go with that, and not the fact that the Diodora she knew fell squarely into those same 'things'.

Yet the way he had snapped not when she insulted him, but his Queen...? That wasn't the sign of a narcissist or a psychopath. No, that was genuine anger at... the insult toward something that he considered his?

No, that wasn't right. As far as Luna was aware given his actions in canon, Diodora's Deadly Sin was Luxuria, not Superbia. Maybe it was Avaritia, if he got so upset? But then why would he only have the one Peerage member? Why not get more treasures if that was the case?

And if his talent really did lie in mind magics, then wouldn't that mean that Ruval's own statement about Diodora not being particularly 'powerful' - despite his supposed ideals - is also still valid, and that Ruval never saw Diodora's talents at work?

It would also play into how he only became a threat when Ophis gave his direct combat abilities a boost in canon. But then why not use that to just break Asia down when he'd held her captive? Or use illusions to make Issei kill his fellow Peerage members under Rias?

The teal-haired Devil ran his hand through his hair again, letting out a huff. "I said this to Ajuka a week ago, and I'll say it to you now. I am not him. Dantalion, or whatever pitiful excuse of a person abused your friend. I don't know where either of you get the idea that I'm some monster wearing the skin of a Devil, but at least for him it's an ingrained wariness from the wars he's fought and won."

Luna bristled at the implication that her vitriol towards Diodora was unjustified, but then realized that in his eyes they probably were. At least to the degree that she was showing it.

"You said it yourself; this sort of stuff's personal for me." She went to grab the glass of grape juice, and remembered that it had fallen over as Diodora shoved the table aside to hold her up to eye level.

"True, but there's a difference between wariness and loathing, and you definitely fall into the latter category." The Pillar heir scratched the back of his head, before noting that the juice he'd gotten Luna had spilled over. "...Hrm."

She glanced at the spilled drink, then back at him, and sighed. "Let me guess, you want me to pick it up?"

"I'm a little curious to see your bloodline in action," he admitted. "But it'd also save the servants some trouble, too."

"Fucking... fine." The brunette made a 'tch' and focused in on the spilled drink, and the way it was soaking into the carpet. With a brief upward motion of her hand, the red juice started coalescing into a spherical shape, rising up as Luna propped the pitcher upright and plopped the juice inside.

"...Fascinating." Well, at least Diodora seemed to enjoy the show. Luna just rolled her eyes.

"Can I start looking through the library now?"

"Hm?" The teal-haired Devil glanced back, his usual expression returning. "Of course. I apologize for keeping you so long. Even if our interactions so far have been... tense, I feel like I understand you better now. I'm grateful for that. I'll peruse the library myself, of course, so I will be around. Once you've picked out a selection and settled in I'll be back and we can actually discuss the reason why I invited you here."

The genuine comment helped lift the tension a bit, though the brunette still took the opportunity to take her leave and do what she had come here to do in the first place. And hopefully be able to delay that discussion Diodora seemed to promise as much as possible.


Once she was finally away from the teal menace, Lunarunn finally allowed herself a breath of relief. That, had not been fun. The very fact that he managed to not only wheedle the reason she couldn't stand him out of her and then pick up certain other things was more than a little alarming.

Had Diodora always been that perceptive? She wasn't sure; she at least hadn't seen anything of the like in canon.

Then again, she wasn't exactly... in canon, was she? It was an alternative universe the moment she showed up, which meant that her very presence in the world might cause it to take a much different course than what Ishibumi had concocted.

Could one of those changes be that Diodora wasn't a completely irredeemable monster?

Perhaps it was against the brunette's better judgment, but maybe her initial perception change back at the gala wasn't as wrong as she'd first expected.

Still, he seemed rather keen on picking her apart, at least as far as interests and mindset go. Though it was hard to tell if it was with malevolent intent or simple curiosity.

Yet, Devils are Devils are Devils. If Ajuka and Sirzechs had abandoned her, then perhaps this was Diodora just trying to do the same, hoping to scoop her up as she'd lost her support base.

"Why does this have to be so damn confusing...?" the Worldweaver murmured to herself as she walked through the aisles of bookshelves, feeling much smaller as the massive wooden edifices loomed above, attached lamps flickering as the brunette moved past. She was tempted to go to the 'fantasy' section, if there was one. Yet, the thought of looking through magical theory and learning more about the Pillars also interested her.

She lifted a finger to scratch her head, which had gained a faint twinge of an itch, after which she looked around and went up to one of the bookshelves, looking through the vast selection at her fingertips.

So many books to look at, so little time to actually read them all.

And as it was, she'd need to get stronger to survive the snake pit.

Coming to that resolution, Luna turned and marched off, following the ordering of the Astaroth archives to come across another bookshelf, much the same as the others.

However, she could practically feel the protective charms on this one. Probably to ward off intruders, though given how she'd been invited by Diodora she was certain that she'd be fine.

Probably.

As Lunarunn walked up to one of the books to remove it, it felt much like her hand slipped through an icy veil, and as she pulled out the book she had selected the sensation subsided.

Her eyes narrowed.

That wasn't quite right, was it? She was pretty sure that protective charms wouldn't have reacted at all had the brunette not triggered something.

Did it react negatively to her unique presence?

...After several seconds it was clear that it hadn't. No pulses of magic, no sounds, no motion beyond the various librarians moving books around to more suitable spaces. Yet, it almost felt like she'd slipped completely beneath the notice of the abjurations entirely.

Luna looked down at the book, and a faint sneer rose to her lips at what she saw.

A neatly-bound dark leather tome on the intricacies of magic, and the differences between Magician, Devil, and every other form of magic imaginable. Normally Luna would consider this a great find, but she'd noticed the author of this particular codex. Ajuka Astaroth.

...If he was listed as Astaroth here, then the book she was holding now must have been published before he became a Satan.

Luna was curious to see how much of his magical theory had shifted since then. It must have been at least centuries old, after all.

But she was also reluctant, because she was still upset at Ajuka, and a persistently nagging little voice in the back of her head suggested she burn it to spite the Satan.

It was tempting, for sure, but Luna had little intention of burning books because of the author. That had bad news written all over it.

Plus, perhaps he'd forgotten something in here that she could eventually use to surpass those two.

So instead she tucked it away in the crook of her arm, and continued to peruse the section on magic, eventually spreading her wings and lifting off to start looking through titles on the higher levels.

If Diodora was giving her access to ancient archives, then the brunette was damn well going to make the most of it, even if the one offering it was an unrepentant monster.


It had been a rather dicey interaction, especially when Lunarunn insulted his Queen, but beyond that Diodora felt as though their talk had gone about as well as he figured it could have.

He couldn't exactly blame her. Especially after everything that happened at the gala.

But, he couldn't exactly coddle her either. Not when Luna clearly meant to be as independent as possible.

Which left Diodora in a rather interesting predicament in what to do with the Worldweaver. The way he saw it, there were three options to put her concerns about him to rest.

The first was to simply spend as much time with Luna as possible, to prove the veracity of his intentions. Though he knew he couldn't push the envelope, as Lunarunn already heavily resented him and any additional attempts might well end disastrously.

The second was to somehow get Luna to accept an evening with him and Tara. Which could be constituted as a Declaration of Intent, though the very nature of what he and his Queen at the least would be up to would imply that Luna is being unfaithful and him encroaching on Ruval's claim. That... could end badly for the both of them. For all their talk of maintaining tradition, the conservatives and OSF were remarkably stuffy as far as sexual relations go.

They were Devils after all, descended from demons, many of which did have technically 'illicit' relationships left and right, most notoriously those who bore the blood of incubi and succubi. Harems still existed, technically, but beyond that? Beyond that Devil 'tradition' was just shy of outright misogynistic.

Which meant that the third, and most likely scenario to earn at least some modicum of trust, was to...

WHAM!

Diodora nearly jumped as he heard something large and heavy fall to the ground nearby, followed by a shocked cry from a familiar source.

So as he rushed to see what had happened, he expected nobody would blame him for stopping with a flabbergasted expression at what he saw.

"Agh! Help! Someone help! The books are attacking me! I'm drowning, I'm drowning, heeeeeelp!"

One brown-haired Devil, thrashing about in a massive pile of books, as though they were quicksand, slowly pulling her out of sight.

Then their eyes met, and Luna stopped moving outright.

"...On second thought, I'd rather drown."

The Astaroth heir nodded, expression turning completely flat. "Uh huh."

"No, seriously. I'm gonna sink into this pile of books now, so that if you pull me out I'm gonna be dead."

"Please, the worst you're gonna face are the papercuts."

"Exactly. I'd rather suffer a death of ten thousand papercuts than let myself be saved by you."

"Now you're just being dramatic."

"Bitch, I AM the drama!"

Diodora turned around, throwing up a hand dismissively. "Fine, fine, then have fun dying. Try not to bleed all over the priceless codices from eras long past as you pass on from this world."

"Great idea! I'll get right to it, then, just to spite your sorry ass."

"Oh you petty bint! Don't you fucking dare!" That got him turning around sprinting for the head slowly sinking into the massive pile of books that had somehow formed a small mountain.


A/N -

Here it is, the next chapter. Something of an intermission, but with a lot of character development and interaction. Sometimes games and vods just don't cut it in the entertainment department, so I'm glad I've got this to work on. And somehow I've been keeping a fairly consistent schedule too, and one that I've been surpassing my word count goals for. Normally I try to shoot for 5k, and then end up going a fair bit over because I end up getting a scene in my head.

Also, ended up receiving a couple suggestions of chapters to touch up on in the poll. Chapters 11 and the prologue and/or 1 being notable picks. Considering how school is turning out, now might be a good time to focus on reworking these chapters to be a little more coherent and effective. (EDIT - I went and adjusted them, so hopefully they have a bit of a better flow now.)

So, that's what I'm going to do. Also, quick review response, Luna's not being particularly affected by her sudden gender swap... it sort of got glossed over in the time skip, but I can assure you that going forward it will have more significant implications. It's a slow burn type of plot point.

Also, to the guy who thought Diodora and Tara had guessed Luna's condition without supposedly knowing? It was a joke. I already fixed the chapter to be more explanatory in that regard.

I did a little research into a certain something, and... Ishibumi put more work into DxD than one might first expect from an ecchi. I'm noticing some rather interesting connections.

...And now the story's in a community, holy shit, thank you!

In any case, I'm gonna call it here. Tempura Wizard out.