For most devils, the difference between family and clan was completely nonexistent. But for Rias Gremory, the two words held vastly different meanings. So, when her mother called for a family meeting, she knew things were about to get rather serious.
She sat down on the far end of the family dining table, a different table to the one they used when guests were over. It was smaller, more intimate, allowing the whole family to feel close to one another even while they ate. It was an odd tradition to have, but the Gremory were always an unusually affectionate people.
On the other end sat her parents, her father quietly drinking some coffee while her mother glared daggers at her. And in between it all, sat her brother and his own family. Grayfia and Millicas hadn't needed to show up, but the stoic ice queen insisted that the young boy spend time with his extended family when he could.
Her mother, Venelana Gremory, was naturally the first one to break the silence. "So, Rias, I've heard you've made a new friend as of late."
Sirzechs, oblivious as always, perked up at the mention of a friend and gave his sister a big smile. "That's great news! You always spend so much time with us and your peerage, I was starting to think you were going to die friendless!"
Grayfia chopped her hand onto his head, silently berating him as Rias mouthed a choice few words to him, asking the asshole to die in a ditch. In other words, a typical sibling dynamic.
Regaining her composure, Rias cleared her throat and met her mother's gaze with one just as steely. "Indeed I have, Mother."
She made no attempt to defend herself or even acknowledge her mother's greater overall point, instead sitting down at the table and waiting until her mom caved in. It didn't take too long, the other woman noticing the rebellion in her daughter and finding it more than distasteful. "Are we really going to play this game, Rias? Or are you going to explain to me why you've been allowing Evander Agares to galivant in Kuoh the last two weeks? I would think after the hotel incident, you would have set him on his way."
Both her father and brother suddenly seemed invested in the meeting, the former adopting a somewhat curious furrow to his brow while the latter yet again butt into the conversation. "Oh, what's he like, Rias? Reputation aside, I've heard he's shockingly coherent for someone with the Sallos Curse. Most others of his blood are either dead or mad from their obsession by this point. I was thinking of maybe asking him to see Ajuka, you know, to figure out if it's some unique mutation and if it can be replicated to protect future Sallos and potentially rebuild the clan. And if not, Serafall might have some use for someone who can charm the-"
Sirzechs' plans to recruit the young man into government work was quickly shut down as their mother turned her eyes to him. "Sirzechs."
Work was not allowed during family meetings and breaking that rule risked Venelana's ire. He quickly shut up, earning him an exasperated side eye from Grayfia.
With the disturbance (her dumb brother) taken of, Rias was once more faced with the full weight of her mother's attention. "Well? Do you have anything you'd like to tell us? Any schemes that you've been plotting?"
The presence of any schemes, or lack thereof, were frankly none of her mother's business. However, Rias was smarter than her brother and wouldn't say something like that aloud. Outright lying was also off the table, as that would only arouse even more suspicion. But that was fine, as straight lies were always the first step towards failure. "I do, but they're not quite ready to be shared yet."
Though far from the worst thing she could have said, it did little to ease the tension in the room as her mother's nostrils flared. "I don't remember raising such a brazen young woman, Rias. I hope you understand how philandering with someone of his reputation can look, especially to the Phenex."
The line between family and clan business blurred immediately, her mother having been the one to arrange her marriage in the first place. Still, no one called her out on breaking the rules of family meetings, if only because there was an underlying agreement on the necessity of it. Despite how frustrating it was to have her brother and father lean towards her mother's side, Rias stood her ground. "I'm well aware of how it may look, but I have need of him as an ally if I'm to find a way out of the marriage you made for me."
At this point, denying her intentions would only weaken her position. Best to lay out her goals on the table and stand proud by them. The fact that it enraged her mother was a bonus at best.
"Brazen indeed. Zeoticus, what do you think of this?"
Her father tensed, suddenly under pressure from both his wife and daughter. A decisive man in business, he was considerably more wishy-washy when it came to the home. He was too softhearted to be stern to his family, something typical of the Gremory and endlessly annoying for the Bael-raised Venelana.
When her mother had announced her plans for Rias' marriage, the only thing Zeoticus Gremory had pushed on was how it would benefit the clan. Kind as he was, they all knew that Rias' marriage was to be a tool for the clan just as his marriage had been and his parents before him. That was just business, and Zeoticus Gremory knew business.
And so, when faced with pressure from wife and daughter, he defaulted to what he knew and talked business. "Before I make a decision, I need to know what it is that you're planning and how you're going about it. Like it or not, what you do will have severe ramifications for the future of the Gremory Clan. You understand?"
Venelana wasn't exactly pleased with her husband's decision, but said nothing as Rias took a moment to gather her thoughts. The young heiress did her best to remember everything she could from the many discussions she and Evander had regarding their partnership, mentally fitting the pieces together in such a way that it seemed much more coherent than it really was. "For now, our plan is to have Mr. Agares challenge Riser for my hand in a rating game. Of course, we've been working together on a plan to defeat Riser first, as challenging him without one would be more than foolish. If we can't find any way to do so, then our dealings will come to an end, and I shall find a new avenue to proceed."
She knew her father well enough to understand that he wasn't looking for a detailed step by step plan. Such things were useful more in theory than practice, as life was never kind to plans. Rather, he was looking to see if she was proceeding with her goals in such a way that allowed her to mitigate failure and abandon her current path with negligible loss. He wanted to see her mentality, which would then inform her methods.
And judging by the proud gleam in his eye, she had done just that.
"…I think that Rias should be mindful of the consequences of her decisions going forward."
Her mother's lips tightened into a thin line, but that was the most she could do in immediate response. This was as much a clan matter as it was a family one, and as head of the clan, her father's word was law. The only other thing she could do was appeal for him to reconsider. "Are you sure that's a wise decision? If Rias fails, then that will certainly mar her reputation."
Zeoticus considered this, head tilting as he thought over every word, but did not give in. "That's a consequence she has to be ready to face then. She's not a little girl anymore, Vene, she's a young woman. Not only that, but she's the heiress to the Gremory name. Some experience politicking like this would be good for her."
Rias tried to hide the relief that flooded her now that she had earned her father's approval, knowing full well that her mother wouldn't let this go without some kind of concession.
"Fine, but I'll be there to keep watch of her. Last thing we need is for any rumors about her having an affair with the Agares boy to get out."
As much as Evander would be thrilled by the idea, Rias had no intentions of actually sleeping with him, charming as he was. And it seemed that no one else was particularly bothered by the idea either, her father raising an eyebrow at her mother's declaration. "Does it really matter so long as it's before she's actually married? It's not like Mr. Phenex has been chaste since their engagement was announced, and I doubt anyone would think less of her for indulging in a little carnal fun."
Fidelity was only expected when actually married, and while some might think less of her for it, no one would actually pay any mind to who she decided to sleep with. Sin and pleasure were just part of the culture, virginity mattering little outside of the romantics like herself.
Not that her mother saw it that way. "And if indulging now becomes an issue for her later? No, I'd rather not let her get tempted."
A slight pang hit Rias' heart at how little faith her mother had in her self-control, though she knew it was just coming from a fierce overprotectiveness. Sirzechs was the only one to really notice it, the other two still focused on one another, and immediately came to the wrong conclusion. "You sure? Grayfia or I could keep an eye on her?"
He gave her a quick wink, all but outright saying that he would be the cool older brother and let her bang the hot neighbor kid. It was, admittedly, very kind of him but she knew full well that he'd be as annoying as possible about it. It was also kinda gross to have her brother aid in her sex life in any way, something that she knew some of her fellow devils would disagree with. Ugh.
Burning that mental image to the ground, Rias chose to focus back on the conversation just as her mother shut Sirzechs down. "No, you two are far too busy to waste your time babysitting. Besides…"
Her mother's face shifted into a broad smile as she regarded Millicas, cooing at the seven-year-old with all the softness that only a grandmother could. "Little Milly needs both mama and papa to watch over him."
She and Sirzechs deadpanned at the 180, quietly wondering where that bubbly nature was when they were kids. Not that Rias wasn't the exact same way with her favorite and only nephew, but she was the cool aunt, and cool aunts were supposed to spoil their nephews.
Venelana's cooing was put on pause as Grayfia cleared her throat, breaking her role as maid and shifting to her role as a mom. "Please don't spoil him, Mother."
"Oh, alright. But only because you asked, Grayfia."
The siblings' deadpan turned to outright betrayal over how Grayfia was somehow always their mother's favorite, something that wasn't helped by their father vehemently nodding his head. Both their parents, it seemed, liked Grayfia better than them.
Of course, Sirzechs was the only one of the two siblings to be stupid enough to say something about it. "Geez, you guys sure know how to make a guy feel like the second favorite child."
Second!? "You mean third favorite."
"That's not what my last birthday gift says."
"Mom bought both of us that shirt."
"Yeah, but she got it for me first."
"Only cause your birthday came up first."
Their mother sighed loudly, cutting them off before they could squabble any more than they already had. "Not at the table, please."
Giving Grayfia another look, she placed her hand on top of the stoic maid's and whispered just a bit too loudly. "Please, whatever you do, don't let Millicas turn out like them."
"Mother!"
"Don't say that in front of Millicas!"
The family fell into playful bickering, their father snickering into his coffee as they enjoyed breakfast together. Their playful closeness was another oddity of the Gremory family, something that most devils couldn't quite fathom. A family not defined by hierarchy, decorum, and sharp ambition. But, as Rias made to stab her brother for stealing a piece of her bacon, she knew she wouldn't want to change that for the world.
… … …
With his queen's latest performance in mind, Van had thought it prudent to up everyone's training. That meant her, him, and their new vampiric acquaintance. And while sparring was certainly one of his preferred ways to train, he figured that it'd be better to refine the basics instead.
Energy control was something that many devils seemed to leave very underdeveloped. That was probably because their imagination fueled power allowed them to simply overpower any kinks in their magic and let their spells work regardless. However, that was wildly inefficient and would lead to vast issues down the road.
As a member of the Agares Clan, Van had thankfully received vast amounts of training in energy control compared to most other clan devils. The Agares Clan's power over time was something that required an immense amount of control to even use due to how strong it was, and while he may not have inherited the trait to manipulate time, his parents had hoped that more control over his demonic energy would make it easier to resist his obsession. It had, but that was more of a side effect of the training than his control over his energy.
His potent control was the main reason he was able to make complex constructs out of energy in the first place, as most devils stopped at basic shapes before moving onto the more exciting parts of their own magic. It was also what made him so good at teleportation magic, to the point of being able to do it on the fly. Not to mention his barrier magic was also quite good too.
In fact, if it wasn't for his training in controlling his demonic energy, he would have likely struggled far more to grasp anything from his ancestor's journals. In order to control energy efficiently, you had to have a deep understanding of it, to the point where you could treat it like another limb. Control was so engrained into him that he did it subconsciously at this point, massively boosting his energy conservation and in turn his combat effectiveness.
Raiza used to be really good with energy control. As a human, she knew how to effectively draw energy from the environment and herself while also knowing how to create efficient magic circles that wasted as little energy as she could. But after becoming a devil, her control went down the drain as she was forced to unlearn quite a bit about how her magic worked.
Human and devil magic were very, very different. Human magic was about knowledge and understanding, a direct cause and effect relationship that never faltered and would always perform exactly as the magic circle used said it would. Any mishaps on the spell there would be directly because of the caster not knowing a key component of the spell and getting the circle wrong.
Devil magic worked via instinct. Demonic energy was like blood to devils, a lifeforce which obeyed the wants and desires of the devil whenever they so wanted. It that case, using the energy was much easier while mastering it much harder. Basic manipulation and spells could be performed by children, but anything more complicated required intense concentration and visualization in order to achieve, all the while suppressing any fluttering desires that may alter the effect of the spell. Emotions could also screw with the result, empowering or weakening a spell depending on the caster's state of mind.
Even if a human learned to use a devil's spell, it would require a complete revamp of the spell to fit the human's magical energy.
Most reincarnated devils took a while to get used to the change, magicians even more so as they had to unlearn their old craft. It could take well over a decade for the average reincarnated devil to catch up to where they were, but Raiza was not average by any means. She was his queen, and as such would receive training befitting of her status.
With his training and her aptitude for learning, he had confidence she could regain her old control in a month's time. Maybe even less if she really put her nose to the grindstone.
"Hah, hah, a-aaa~"
Raiza moaned under him, her legs swung over to her side as she laid down on her back and gripped the sheets beneath her as he railed her tight pussy. Her breasts bounced up and down from the force of his thrusts, sweat beading down between her tits as a black blindfold kept her from seeing what was going on.
…So maybe it wasn't the exact training he had received, but he argued it was more effective. Even as her walls gripped him with the trembling force of orgasm, her focus was on projecting a small shield above her that clashed with a spectral sword at a random interval. The blindfold was there to keep her from actually seeing where the sword was going to hit, forcing her to rely on her energy sensing to not only know when the blade was going to swing, but how dense the energy was going to be so she could adjust her shield's strength accordingly.
And the sex was just there to distract her, adding a layer of difficulty to the challenge to further put her skills to the test. Plus, it would allow him to apply any magical buffs that he created to her without her unintentionally going cross-eyed, as his Power of Lust would always induce a certain amount of arousal to his targets. Well, almost always.
She was doing incredibly well too. Her shield may have only been a rounded circle, but it was still amazing considering how potent the distraction was. By contrast, his sword was fully modeled with decorative detailing (such as a fuller, a slightly uneven leather handle, and scratches along the fake blade), but that was to be expected. He'd been training his demonic energy all his life, and she barely had two years.
Honestly, she was a better natural talent than he was.
Giving his queen's bum a quick spank to throw her off, he turned his gaze upward a bit and watched as his new bishop stared at a laptop on the edge of the bed. Her messy pink hair matted her face as three spectral hands molested her body, eyes glazed over as she struggled to create a shadow replica of the show she was watching.
After Momo's week in the dungeon, she had become quite compliant. Even more so once he used his body transformation magic to heal any damage that the weeklong tentacle rape had induced and restore her condition to better than ever. After he had given her the stick, he then turned to the carrot as having a willing companion was always preferable than not.
His promise to her was quite simple: he aided her with any research that he could and made her stronger, and she gave him her loyalty. It would take a bit of time before that loyalty would cement itself in her mind, but he could be patient. Besides, even if she did try and abandon him, it would be downright impossible to get the same pleasure she had earned while with him. Sex was one thing, but being able to practically control how much pleasure she received meant that he could fine tune his approach to fit her specific taste to such a degree that no one else could hope to compare.
Sex magic was rather overpowered in that regard.
Raiza had also been a darling on that front, eager to take out her lust and frustration on the dhampir whenever she could. And Raiza was an amazingly skilled lover in her own right, intoxicating Momo with her taste.
Power and pleasure were the most potent motivators, and they were more than capable of using both.
With both his girls training their control, it did leave him a little outside the loop. His control was already good enough that he could conjure a sword and three hands while still maintaining a focused inner monologue. So rather than train control, he instead got back to his favorite hobby and had begun reading his ancestor's journals.
One of the journals was splayed out over the width of Raiza's upper thigh, the supple skin providing more than enough area to balance the open book. Of course, with their active fucking, he kept the book in place with the skin of his arm while he used his hand to grope her ass. The feeling of her flesh squeezing between his fingers never got old, even if the whole experience did slow his reading a bit.
With as much stimulus as there was, it was no surprise that the ringing of his phone nearly went unnoticed for the first few seconds. In fact, he would have completely overlooked it had he not needed to turn the page and had stopped reading.
Using magic to call the phone to his hand, he checked out the caller ID and hummed. "Wonder what Rias wants."
Van picked up the call, taking note of how Raiza jealously tightened around his length as the devil heiress' voice came through from the other end. "Ah, Mr. Agares. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Raiza's shield shimmered in and out of existence as she muttered under her breath, though a quick slap to the ass sharpened her focus.
"Just doing some training. What do you need?"
Rias laughed on the other end, likely hearing exactly what was going on. "Training, right. Anyway, something urgent has come up and I'd like it if you could come to Kuoh for a bit. If you're able to of course."
Kuoh, huh? Well, he did need to pick up the uniforms for his and Raiza's first day at the academy tomorrow. He also needed to check up on the hotel reconstruction and see if the builders were on schedule. He had hired magicians for the job, and they had told him it'd be done before the semester started. "I can make it. I'll just need to get ready and take the train. You know how annoying those pesky interdimensional teleportation laws are."
"Intimately. Please, text me before you get there so I can meet you at the station."
"I will. See you then, Miss Gremory."
"Likewise."
The call ended, and Van was forced to put a sudden end to their training session. "I'm afraid I've got business in Kuoh, girls. We'll have to cut today's session short."
His conjured hands and sword flickered out of existence, Raiza's shield following suit as the alchemist pulled up her blindfold and pouted. "But you didn't cum."
Hm, he hadn't. He usually only came when he wanted, such as when he could feel his partner growing too tired. And while he could just cum right here and now, he knew better than to dump his load inside a womb. He had impeccable self-control, but if he came inside someone there was no stopping his obsession from kicking into overdrive and ensuring his partner got pregnant.
And as much as the idea turned him on, knocking someone up before he was married off would be a political disaster. That, and Raiza was very keen on not getting pregnant until after she finished her third year at Kuoh.
So, with great reluctance, he pulled out of his beloved queen and motioned for Momo to come crawling over. She did, too pleasure drunk to resist as she sat on Raiza's face and took him into her mouth. The dhampir pushed all the way to the back, her nose pressing against him as she lodged him into her throat. Satisfied with her obedience, he came down her throat with an almost playful ease.
"There, all done."
Stepping off the bed and cleaning himself off with magic, he gave the girls one last look before snapping his fingers. They both seized in ecstasy, one final orgasm racking their bodies as the Power of Lust still wafting off of them did its job. It was a bit lazy to make a girl cum without any of the work, but he wasn't going to leave them right before they got off. He had standards.
Van got dressed while the two of them came down from their high, Momo knocking out immediately as her sexual stamina remained much lower than the other two. Raiza, having grown the stamina to keep up with his appetites, simply took a moment to catch her breath before sitting up and cleaning herself off. "…So, Rias calls you and you drop everything to see her? Just like that?"
The accusation in her voice was… new, if nothing else. "I don't like putting business on hold, it's bad manners."
"Hmph."
Raiza's continued jealousy towards Rias was getting tiresome, but pressing his queen on the matter would only make her more defensive. Best he could do is try and make her comfortable. "If you don't want to see her, I can go alone."
"No! I mean, I don't… I'll go."
She began getting dressed as well, pulling up her tight red booty shorts and buttoning them up. He would have loved to stare at her while she dressed, but the frown on her face marred his enjoyment. He loathed seeing her sad, but this odd sense of defeat in her body language was a new level of heartbreaking.
Wrapping an arm around her, Van gave her a quick hug and pressed his face against the top of her head. He said nothing, keeping her close until he felt the tension in her shoulders fade. Once he was certain she was feeling better, he let her go and watched as she put her ribboned beret on with a restrained smile.
"…Thanks, Van."
He nodded, leading the way out of his bedroom and down the hall. She kept close to him, an anxious possessiveness permeating through her body language as she stroked his arm. A part of him was pushing for a quick interrogation of her sudden shift in mood, unused to this sort of behavior from his typically confident queen. But he held the part back, knowing full well that she'd tell him when she was ready to.
Resolving to instead just be there for her until she was ready, Van nearly bowled over his sister in his distracted state as he turned the corner. "Seekvaira! My apologies I didn't-"
She raised a hand, face unusually melancholic as she waved away his apology. "It's fine, I was hoping to see you anyway."
Not only was her expression off, but her voice was much softer than usual as well. Everything about her was different, softer not in a kind way but more so a somber one. It threw him off, keeping his tongue in place as she continued. "…I know it's not my business, but I've noticed that you've been more active as of late. Busier, more driven. That fire in your eyes is burning brighter than ever."
Seekvaira stared at him a moment, a sad smile on her lips as she sighed. "I won't pry. Whatever it is, it's something you need to do. You're… you're trying to carve your destiny, aren't you?"
"…Did you sense something?"
Within the Agares Clan, the gift of prophecy was not something that his clan was known for. However, it wasn't unheard of for those particularly in tune with the clan's trait to get a feel for their own or a loved one's fate. Nothing concrete, just a flash of intuition that otherwise wouldn't exist. It wouldn't be the first time his sister had sensed something was off with him, often to his detriment as she'd become intensely overbearing until the feeling passed. But this was the first time she seemed so passive about it.
His theory was confirmed as she nodded her head, face tight as she tried and failed to hide her emotions. "I did. And… you worry me something fierce, Evander. Whatever it is you're planning, whatever road you're trying to walk down, it makes my stomach churn."
Hand tightening around his cane, Van felt a brief stutter of trepidation lean on his shoulder. There was only one person besides himself in all of existence who knew of the true depths of his ambition, of his true goal outside of just learning the magic of his blood. So, for his sister to get a sense for it so potent that it made her like this? Well, it was a bit nerve wracking to say the least.
But then, he had long since known his path would be a dangerous one. "I've had some time to process it."
Seekvaira bobbed her head slowly, likely already knowing how potent his resolve was. "I figured. You were always the biggest dreamer of the two us, so motivated to be more than what others thought of you…"
Reaching into her breast pocket, she pulled out a familiar silver pocket watch from within. "Here."
Gently taking the watch from her, his expression melted into one of nostalgia as he stared at the repaired artifact. "You fixed grandfather's watch."
"I did, with Raiza's help of course."
His queen bowed her head, visibly proud of herself but unwilling to cut in-between the usually bickering siblings.
Opening the watch up, he listened closely to the faint sound of the mechanical ticking coming from the small heirloom. It was comfortingly familiar, though he was quick to notice a new detail engraved on the inside of the watch.
Time and Tide Wait for no Man
"…Seekvaira…"
Throat feeling unusually tight, he couldn't even finish what he was saying before an odd sense of emotion choked him up. His eyes felt warm, warmer than they ever had, and he even let out an undignified sniffle. "…H-Hells damn it, Seekvaira. Look at what you're making me do."
"Sh-Shut up you smarmy bastard."
She pulled him in for a hug, something they hadn't done since they were children. Old memories tickled his mind, of times when it was just the two of them. Their parents were either eternally busy or eternally socializing, constantly doing what they could to maintain the Agares Clan's position in the cultural hierarchy. His sister had been the one to practically raise him alongside the maids, being four years older and infinitely more mature. For nearly every milestone in his life, she had been there. His first words, first steps, first near-death experience (that had accidentally been her fault), and even the day he got his Evil Pieces.
Hells, she had been the one to recommend he get a maid and that had ended with him meeting his Raiza.
They held onto each other for a little while, uncaring of the fact that proper devils did not cry, nor did they indulge in displays of affection outside the bedroom. And yet, they maintained their embrace, ignoring the growing realization that his first steps on the path towards his destiny would be away from home.
It took some time before they parted, neither wanting the other to see their messy eyes. They each waited until the sudden burst of emotion cooled down, getting back in control of themselves before parting and pretending the moment had not come to pass at all. They cleared their throats, Seekvaira continuing on as if nothing had happened. "A-Anyway, Raiza helped me imbue the watch with some of my magic. It can store up to ten seconds of time, allowing you that much temporal manipulation until the watch is able to store a bit more. Freeze time around you for ten seconds, speed it up, or whatever it is you need, you can do it within reason."
No longer feeling as emotional as he was earlier, he recognized the familiar temporal flavor of his sister's demonic energy and his queen's handiwork magic imbued into the watch. Though it was a pale imitation of true time manipulation, it was still leagues better than what he could do. "Thank you, Seekvaira."
Sharply nodding her head, she pushed up her glasses and used the motion to hide away the blush on her face. "Yes, well, no matter what powers you have or what name you may ever take up in the future, you are an Agares where it matters. And an Agares will not allow time to rule them."
He tightened his face to avoid having another moment, deeply touched by the sentiment in ways he would probably take to his grave. Despite being an obvious black sheep, his family had accepted him readily. Even his parents, when they weren't busy, did their best to check up on him. so having a physical reminder of that connection… it mattered more than the name.
Slipping the watch into its proper place in his jacket, Van felt his hand linger over the watch before he got a hold of himself. "…You know you can visit me anytime, right?"
Snorting and stepping away, she gave him a look. "Obviously. Now, go do what you need to do."
Feeling a strong burst of motivation fill his heart, Van left his old family manor and made his way to the airship on the other side of the city. Though not before linking his arm with Raiza's and grasping her hand tightly. "Thank you too, by the way."
Still a bit thrown off by him holding her hand so blatantly, it took a moment for her to realize what he had said, her face red as a tomato. "Wh-What? I mean, yeah. Don't mention it. Besides, I got something out of it too~"
Pressing her thumb underneath her belt, she lifted it up to show a large hourglass button that he hadn't paid much mind to earlier. Though now that he was, he noticed a similar temporal energy on it. Something that had been masked by the vast amount of it in the Agares Manor. "Interesting. What does it do?"
"It lets me use time magic as a component for my Sacred Gear. Pretty sweet huh?"
It was rather sweet, as she said. It was also a very curious thing to give someone who wasn't technically family. Seekvaira must've held her in high regard as well. "It is, though not as much as you are."
Her smile quivered as she held her face with a single hand. "G-Geez, Van. Making me blush in public like this, you're such a cruel man."
"Guilty~"
As dangerous a path as his, Van took a grateful solace that he had loved ones willing to walk it with him, however indirectly they may follow.
… … …
The travel from the devil world to the human one was becoming a familiar one, to the point where Van's nose no longer scrunched whenever he had to adjust to the smell of humanity. He had also gotten used to Rias and her queen meeting them at the front of the station, enough so that he was actually rather surprised when someone new had taken the pleasant Akeno's place.
"Greetings, Mr. Agares. I am Lady Venelana Gremory, Rias' mother."
Noble and sharp, the flaxen haired devil may have looked nearly as young as her daughter (albeit bustier), but she did not carry herself like her daughter. In Rias there was always an eager boldness, a youthful excitement that was common in most of his generation, with Van being one of the few exceptions. Venelana, however, was much more reserved. Though they were both noble in bearing, Venelana held an edge of experience that threatened to cut Van should he not tread lightly.
He relished the challenge. "Well met, Lady Gremory. My name is Evander Agares, your future son-in-law."
Okay, maybe he wasn't an exception.
Both Rias and Venelana were taken aback by his forwardness, with the former downright horrified at his words while the latter simply regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Hm, bold."
"The best devils are."
The only lady not surprised by his nonchalance was Raiza, too used to his antics when it came to his infatuation with making a strong impression. Or maybe too used to his antics in general.
Though that was perhaps discounting the cool exterior of the Lady Gremory, whose surprise could at best be measured in nanometers. "So, you say. I was just curious as to what kind of man my daughter would decide to make her co-conspirator. So far, I am not impressed."
Oh, ho ho? So, it was going to be like this, eh? Feeling his blood simmer at the woman's dismissal of him, Van felt a personal responsibility to prove her wrong in the best way possible. "Then please, allow me to show you just how impressive I can be."
Rias managed to reboot once she realized he was flirting with her mom, quickly cutting in before her mother could say anything. "P-Perhaps it's best if we talked strictly business, yes?"
Unfazed by his flirtations, Venelana swiftly agreed. "That is for the best. After all, I must wonder what it is that my daughter is promising you to earn your support. Is it her virginity?"
"MOM!"
Goodness, first Rias showed up with her eagerness to indulge their verbal dances and now her mother appears with a grace unmatched? He wanted nothing more in that moment than to have them both, but he refrained before his obsession could take hold. "No, I'm working to earn that myself-"
"EVANDER!?"
"-but rest assured, I will make no moves towards doing so until I can guarantee her hand."
He delicately left out the fact that he planned on defiling her in an assortment of other ways regardless of her marital status, as that was not the question posed to him. Thankfully, it seemed that Venelana was satisfied with just making sure of her daughter's chastity. "Good. The last thing I need is any leftover hangups pushing her to indulge in a mistake once she is married."
Normally he'd make a quip about Rias being more than willful to resist any temptation, but considering he was the temptation in question? It was a valid fear to have. "I'm glad to ease your worries then."
Getting a read on what Lady Gremory was thinking proved to be more than difficult, as centuries of not millennia of experience on her part made it nearly impossible to crack that mask of noble stoicism. It was a stark reminder that no matter his savviness when it came to social interaction, he was still barely a novice compared to the well-practiced politicians of devil society.
In light of his inexperience, he decided that the best thing he could do was play the open book. After all, if he worked with the assumption that she could read his every thought from his face alone, then at least he'd have the luxury of not being surprised when she did.
Deep violet eyes picked him apart with ease, Venelana's expression not changing a bit as she pushed for her next question. "You didn't answer what I had originally asked you. What is she offering you to earn your support?"
Lies would just make his position worse, so truth it was. "She offered to put me into contact with Tannin, as I have need of Lord Mephistopheles' wisdom and the dragon is the only one who may know of the man's whereabouts."
"And if I offered to do the same so long as you abandon my daughter's cause?"
A part of him was tempted in that instant, that much he could admit. However, as Rias' face paled at her mother's question, he was quick to remember that he stood to gain more than just Tannin with this endeavor. "I'm afraid I've already made a deal with her. To break it now would be disrespectful to both her, but also to my own name."
Rias sighed in relief, while her mother continued to emote as little as possible. "A principled one. How vexing."
Giving him one last look, Venelana turned and called for her daughter. "Rias, please escort me to my new lodgings. I will be making myself comfortable here while I make sure this young man makes no unwanted advances towards you."
Bowing as the two buxom women went their way, he let out one last quip. "I assure you, Lady Gremory, my advances will be anything but unwanted."
"Hm."
He watched the two leave, finger tapping on his cane excitedly as Raiza let out the breath she had been holding. "That lady is intense."
"It's exhilarating, no?"
His queen didn't quite agree with him, but she knew his love of a good challenge well enough to know that disagreeing would go nowhere. And a challenge that Venelana would be. He had no hope of trying to outmaneuver her politically or socially, the sharpness in that woman's eyes was well beyond anything he'd be able to match for the next century. The only way he'd be able to worm his way into her, would be to wear her down slowly with his advances and to take advantage of her being away from home.
Because if there was one thing he knew that he was pretty much unmatched in, it was seduction. It would take perhaps a goddess of lust itself to do so.
Hm, he should visit Greece at some point.
Thoughts of goddess banging were enough to distract him until they got to where the original hotel had been, the one they had sort of aided in destroying. Not that anyone would even suspect such a thing, as the ruins had been rapidly transformed into something much more since he last saw it.
Firstly, the hotel had massively increased in size thanks to him buying up several properties nearby to facilitate his vision. The first few floors were then partially combined into a large pachinko arcade and bowling alley, a few themed cafés, and a few other minor bits and bobs that he had thrown in there. He had originally wanted to make a casino, but apparently gambling was illegal in Japan.
After the entertainment floors were actual hotel rooms, going up to thirty-three though with the last three blocked out. There was also a large outdoor pool as well, the walls around it being sufficiently high to deter most voyeurs. Indeed, only the most desperate of perverts would be stupid enough to try and sneak a peek at his guests. Well, future guests anyway.
His mood as high as ever, Van threw his arms wide open and called for the foreman overseeing the construction crew packing their things up. "Mr. Esposito, I see you've fulfilled your contract and then some! What marvelous work you've done, so modern!"
The old Italian foreman grunted at the blatant familiarity, but was wise enough to not let it get to him. "Just doin' my job, Mr. Agares."
"And what a job you've done."
There were more than a few wary glances being shot his way, the many magicians workers here being so low on the totem pole that even the thought of a devil was enough to tremble the knees of the newer recruits. The older ones were much more relaxed in comparison, having done business with him enough times to grow used to him. Both reactions were appreciated, but they were not the focus of his gaze at the moment.
"Tell me, Esposito, how has Japan been treating you? That translator spell I taught you doing any good?"
Another grumble, but this one held a bit less annoyance than the last. "It's been fine. Mostly work."
"How boring. You should really see the sights, visit a hot spring or two."
Van wrapped an arm around the older man's shoulders, his voice lowering to a silent whisper as the exuberance bled from his tone. "Stay around a little longer. You might find some work while you're in town."
"…I'll see what I can do."
Good ol' Esposito was quick to scurry away, having known him longer than any other human here. In fact, the foreman knew Van nearly as long as Raiza though nowhere near as intimately. Their relationship was much more transactional, having spoken more through contract than words since they met in that quant little town of New York some time ago.
Walking into the entrance of the newly rebuilt hotel, Van felt a familiar comfort at the casino-esque layout. While gambling was never his biggest vice, it reminded him of the wonderfully sinful village of Vegas. All the humans scuttering about like ants in search of their next big payout, what a wonderfully unique thing. Devil casinos are much less crowded in comparison and conducted more gracefully. Or boringly, depending on your persuasion.
"…I'm distracting myself."
Excitement and nervousness tittered in equal measure, with the scale measuring the two shifting back and forth in rapid succession. That bubbling cocktail of energy led him to the bar, where he hoped to calm his nerves with a more relaxing cocktail of choice. The bar was thankfully fully stocked (Esposito knew how to please), so all he needed to do was roll up his sleeves and get to work.
"Raiza, darling, what suits your palate? Something strong, something sweet?"
His queen sat at the bar, her fingers drumming against the counter while he pulled out the ingredients for his favorite drink. "I'm good, but… are you?"
Van grinned as he gave a coupe glass a quick tap, chilling it before he rummaged about for some absinthe. "I'm doing marvelously, darling. The wheel of destiny is finally turning to my speed, and- oh, and he even got Devil's Botany! What a jokester that Esposito."
"Wheel of destiny?"
Raiza's cheeks puffed a bit, worry creasing her brow as he waffled between two different fortified wines. "You're rambling nonsense, Van."
He sighed, giving the two bottles reluctant look. "You're right. As much as I enjoy a good vermouth, I can't deny the sweetness of a Lillet Blanc."
"Van."
The enthusiasm on his face slowly faded, his eyes darting down to the shaker where he poured in the necessary alcohol. The sloshing of liquid and ice was the only thing that could be heard at the bar for a good while, the devil feeling an unusual sense of fear for the first time in… he couldn't remember. "…It's all real now. We're not just planning or training or studying. My, no, our dream is within our grasp."
His shaking stilled as he put the shaker back down on the counter, balancing a strainer on his finger before letting it fall. "What happens if it fails. If I fail?"
Doubt. What a wretched emotion to feel, especially at a time like this. Such a thing was unbecoming of someone like him, and letting it taint his words felt like the greatest admittance to failure.
Raiza (his wonderful Raiza) picked the strainer up off the counter and gently put it back into his hand. "Then we'll adapt and try again."
"…You make me feel silly."
Van smiled genuinely to his queen, pouring his drink through the strainer and capping it off with an orange slice. Lifting the glass, he offered it first to Raiza who took a brief sip and hummed. "Not bad. I could do better though~"
Cheeky girl.
The sweet cocktail met his lips and made his taste buds tingle, his gaze sweeping over the empty hotel. "We'll need to get some staff soon. Maybe have a grand opening sometime? Something spectacular."
Leaning over the bar, Raiza kissed him deeply enough to get the taste of the alcohol off of his tongue. Pulling away, she licked her lips approvingly. "Taste's better this way. Though before we can get the hotel in order, we should probably pick up our uniforms for tomorrow. And maybe shop for supplies as well."
Oh, they did have quite the itinerary to get through before they could get to the fun bits. Shopping for school supplies would be a bit of a slog, but…
Van gave Raiza another look, his stare humiliatingly soft as he offered a hand. "Well, I suppose we should get on that. Together then?"
Her smile warmed him greatly, even more so than the feeling of her hand in his. "Always."
From now until the end.
… … …
Personal business kept me away from this for a while, even though I had 90% of the chapter done. But regardless of that, here is the appearance of Venelana and the first major shift in canon. I thought about doing both her and the Phenex MILF, but I wanted to let Venelana breathe a bit as her own character. Phenex will probably be introduced later down the line, as next chapter marks the beginning of the Kuoh Academy school year. I have like, half of it written and the rest planned out but all I'll say is that Sona makes her introduction there.
I don't quite remember what I was going to say for this since it's been so long, so I'll leave this AN here.
This has been A Decent Hoonter, and let's see if I find a good Venelana pic.