Rias Gremory had no idea if she should be elated, disappointed, or annoyed out of her mind, or a mixture of all three, right now.
Not only the girl she had taken an interest in turned out to be the new host for the Red Dragon Emperor, but she was also an extremely skilled swordswoman who could go toe to toe with Kiba, as she was showing right now in the courtyard, without even using her Boosted Gear as a human! She was a gem among gems, an individual many top tier devils would have fought over.
If one of her Evil Pieces had been a Mutant Knight Piece, she would have wasted no time in using it. That said, her elation didn't stop there. Apparently the two young mages were formidable as well! The girl's flames were similar in power to what she thought Riser would be capable of and the boy's lightning was comparable to Akeno's in power, even though he lacked the control her queen commanded over the element, the two of them were currently discussing said element, Akeno insisting on having the younger boy sit on her lap, much to the clear annoyance of the blonde girl.
And she had to say it again… they… were… all… humans!
She couldn't even fathom what they could do if she turned them into devils! She would for sure be freed from her arrangement then!
But for all her elation, her following disappointment was just as great if not greater, when each and every last one of them vehemently turned down her offer, Lakyus even seemingly outraged at the sole thought.
Even when she explained every advantage that becoming a devil would offer, none of them changed their mind. She had hoped that at least the boy would be tempted by possibly having a peerage he could fil with women in the future, but the thought didn't even seem to register, or maybe he was one of those rare cases where such a thing was not appealing.
And to coronate such a failure, she had given in to her pettiness and was currently paying for it.
She had noticed that with each rejection, the sole remaining girl, youngest among them, the only one who didn't seem to have anything special going for her, was looking more and more amused as Rias was getting more and more desperate.
While she, as a proud devil, shouldn't have given weight to such childish behavior, she could not help but feel her pride prevail alongside the need to make a fool out of the girl to come back at her.
She had chosen quite a roundabout way of doing that. Since the girl thought herself so clever, she would have to beat her at a game of wits.
That did not turn out as she expected… at all.
"Checkmate… I was a bit rusty, but these last four games were quite refreshing for me, I must thank you Rias Gremory."
The gently smiling girl in front of her said as she knocked down Rias' king with her knight.
The devil heiress felt like a young girl again, facing Sona for the first time and being soundly defeated… no, at least then she had been left with some pride, seeing how Sona was her own age and also a highly educated devil heiress.
But now? This Renner was just a human, barely more than a child, and she had managed to humiliate her four times in a row.
Rias didn't know why, but this little girl had her on edge from the start, her devilish senses tingling and alerting her even though she could not possibly understand the reason behind it. the one before her was just an average human, not skilled with the blade and incapable of magic. And yet, her senses had never betrayed her before.
With a flash of light a new figure appeared in the courtyard, his black robes standing out like a sore thumb in the middle of all those colors.
"Satoru!"
The youngest blonde didn't waste a second before launching herself at the giant of a man, or whatever he was under that mask.
"I hope you had a pleasant afternoon, I have come here to retrieve you before going home."
The man greeted, gently ruffling the girl's hair.
"It was quite boring to be honest, I would have much preferred coming with you."
Rias felt her right eye twitch in irritation at the girl's words. She basically said she had been nothing but a nuisance to her face, and Rias could do nothing about it, since she had been ordered by her brother to accommodate their… guests…
"Umu, but before that, Gremory Heiress, maybe you could enlighten me on this?"
Rias blinked as the black monster who could go toe to toe with the strongest queen in the underworld and even stare her brother down without flinching, called for her attention.
She moved quickly, trying to mask her nervousness as she approached the masked mage.
"I have come into the possession of this Sacred Gear, but it seems like I am incapable of using it."
He said as he took out a couple of rings from his gown, presenting them to her.
"Is the barrier part of the Sacred Gear's effect?"
She asked in curiosity as both rings were contained in a purple looking spherical barrier.
"No, that is my own doing to avoid the item escaping my grasp, it doesn't seem eager to remain in my possession."
The dark mage continued calmly as if he just didn't break a core concept of the items created by the Biblical God, one of the most powerful entities in the universe.
In the more than two thousand years since the Great War and creation of Sacred Gears, no one managed to do anything remotely similar… not even the great Ajuka Beelzebub, easily the most learnt devil, ever managed to find a way to stop Sacred Gears from disappearing upon their wielder's death.
"The Sacred Gear should have just gone to another human infant by now… how are you holding it like that?"
She could not help but inquire, her brain still trying to make sense of what she was witnessing.
"It is a simple barrier that nullifies any type of Teleportation Magic… so you say this should have gone to another human? It is a racial restricted item then… what a shame…"
The answer was as baffling as the words he said after. There was no way it was that easy, or someone would have had figured it out by now… then again… this mage had managed to block their teleportation magic before, even her sister-in-law's and brother's.
"What… what exactly does it do?"
She asked, curious to know which of the Sacred Gears he was currently holding n his possession.
"Oh, according to the one I took it from, this item is capable of healing anyone regardless of race, or so they claim."
Rias' eyes almost bulged out at the explanation. She had no idea such a valuable Sacred Gear existed! It would be a perfect addition to any of her peerage members.
"Say, Sir Satoru, would you be willing to sell it to me… for a very reasonable compensation, of course."
She proposed, using her body language to her advantage, trying to emphasize her breasts as she had yet to meet someone who could resist her feminine charm.
"Satoru, can I have it?"
Before Rias could even start negotiations, the blonde girl interfered using her puppy eyes to look up at the mage.
She apparently never stood a chance as her sex appeal went ignored and the mage knelt down to the girl's level .
If Rias didn't know nay better she could bet the blonde just shot her a smug smile, but the image was gone the next instant, making her wonder if it ever happened in the first place.
The girl presented her small hand to Satoru who hesitated a moment before slipping the two rings on her hand.
A bright light lit the courtyard for a second and then it was gone the next moment. The Sacred Gear leaving no traces on the girl's body as it was seemingly absorbed.
"Well, it seems it worked, how do you feel Renner?"
The mage asked as the girl flexed her hands as if testing if they still worked.
"I don't really feel any different from normal, oh…"
Her expression changed abruptly when her hand lighted up with a ethereal green hue making her blink as she stared back at her own hand.
"I think we will have to test this later, but for now, let's just go home."
Rias blinked for a couple of times, as she went completely ignored by the mage, as if she didn't exist.
She was so baffled by what just happened that even the indignation she should have felt at being ignored forgot to register in her mind.
Soon enough, the whole group of juniors disappeared in a flash of light alongside the mage, leaving the devil heiress completely flabbergasted and alone with her peerage once again.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Mittelt was not one who feared violence. As a Low Class Fallen Angel, she had been pushed around more times than she could count, even more than the average low class due to her status as an half-breed.
She had soon learnt to not show fear or cower, that would only make her a victim, no, she learnt to strike back twice as hard as she received. That was the only way to make others back off or think twice before targeting her.
And yet, none of that had mattered when she was struck down from the sky, her prized wings fried by lightning. All her masks fell when she witnessed her colleagues being flayed and eviscerated by that monster in black.
Even among the most sadistic and mentally screwed fallen angels the thought of desecrating a corpse like that would have been considered disturbing to say the least, maybe worthy only for those who they truly hated viscerally.
But no, that had not been the case, the monster had made no mystery of why he did what he did. He did not have any quarrel with her dead comrades, he didn't even know their name, he never gave the impression of hating Fallen Angels as a whole… hell, Mittelt would have even understood doing it for fun at this point!
But no, the reason he did it was because he was curious… curious to know if he could use their body parts for his experiments… as he spoke to himself she could not help but think he was referring to them as cattle, as if they were just a bunch of pigs waiting to be slaughtered and dissected, like in a farm.
The monster did not see them as equals, not in the slightest… he saw them as animals, inferior life forms good only for farming and then be butchered.
Something broke inside her that day, seeing someone do that to what once was a living, thinking, and feeling being, broke her. She could not mask her fear any longer at the prospect… she had been spared, if you could even call it that. The monster wanted information, and information she gave, it wasn't like she was loyal to Grigori or something, it had always been pretty clear among Fallen Angels that each one was on their own when shit hit the fan.
But, how long would it last? She was a small fry, she didn't hold any valuable intel, otherwise she would not have been sent buzzing around so easily, and someone would have had something to say if she was captured.
Would she… would she be disposed of when she was useless? Was she just trying to delay the inevitable? Would it be quick only for her corpse to suffer the worse of it? Or… since she was alive… would she be experimented on while still alive… was she just a guinea pig while her comrades were mere cattle? The thought scared her more than anything in her life.
A knock on the door of her cell made her jump, well, calling it a cell would be generous, it was more like a basement, but with all the defensive magic casted to keep her there, it might as well have been a cell.
She didn't dare speak a word, hoping that the animalistic instinct of playing dead would make her invisible to the predator.
Unfortunately, it didn't go as she hoped when the wooden door slowly creeped open and the head of a young boy peeked inside, looking around till he noticed her.
Mittelt stared back, sky-blue meeting grass-green. Silence ensued as the two kept staring.
"Ah, sorry, is this a bad time?"
She didn't know how to answer to such a question. What could she even say?
"Uhm, I brought you some food."
The hesitant boy slowly entered in the room, revealing a tray in his hands. He approached her and knelt down as he placed the tray filled with food between them.
The smell made her stomach growl, she had no idea she was even hungry till that moment. But her body refused to move, still frozen like a doe who just spotted a wolf looking at her.
"Ah, my names is Rayne by the way! What's yours?"
The boy, now revealed as Rayne, asked her casually as if he wasn't talking with a guinea pig.
Silence persisted between the two as a somber look came over the boy's face.
"I see… it must have been pretty terrible then, I get it, Master Satoru can be scary, I saw him repel an army by himself and bring down a Dragon Lord singlehandedly… I can imagine, facing him must be a nightmare."
She flinched, she did not know the name, but she could imagine to whom it belonged, and the boy before her was apparently a member of that monster's peerage.
"Here, open your mouth, it will make you feel better."
He said bringing one of the pastries to her mouth.
Not wishing to defy her captors, she forced herself to take a small bite.
The sweetness of the pastry and chocolate filled her mouth in a comforting way.
"Hope you like it, this is the first time I attempt to bake, Arche said they are a tad too sweet."
The boy continued to talk gently, much to her confusion. This was not at all who she expected to come to her. This boy seemed extremely nice, too nice to be a member of that monster's peerage.
This was an act, it must be! But to what end? It wasn't like they could get anything out of her by having her trust that they couldn't by scaring it out of her.
"Ah, master Satoru is so… sometimes, I don't understand how he can scare cute girls like this."
The boy seemed to only register what he said a moment too late as his face flushed red, and the hand that was holding the food in front of her mouth visibly twitched.
"Ah! Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean it to come out like that! You just… it doesn't matter."
For all Mittelt was scared for her life, she still could not help but find the boy's act adorable.
She was not as young as she looked, she was almost twenty. She had been approached by boys her physical age or even older weirdos but this was the first time she actually found one of them that was more adorable and endearing than annoying.
And he could also cook quite the delicious treat, if she was not currently in such a precarious and desperate position she might have considered him a nice catch.
She kept eating in silence, no longer needing his help once she regained control over her body and her initial fear subsided.
"Mittelt."
She croaked out after finishing the glass of milk he brought her. The green-eyed boy inclined his head like a confused puppy.
"My name is Mittelt."
She reiterated, it wasn't like it was a secret, her captors already knew as much and he had been courteous enough for her to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Ah, uhm… sorry for the question, but you are a fallen angel, right?"
He asked clearly nervous, she didn't answer directly as the tension skyrocketed again, she just nodded. She didn't know where this was going, but it couldn't be anything good considering the tensions between the three factions.
The boy's blush returned with a vengeance.
"C-can I… Can I s-see your wings?"
The question took her aback, the badly hidden eagerness in his tone a baffling thing for her, no one ever asked her that. Probably because everyone around her had wings of their own, but that is beside the point.
She grimaced, the mater of her wings was not something she wanted to think about right now.
"Ah, I am sorry if that was rude!"
The boy immediately backtracked, probably due to him noticing the darkening of her expression.
She didn't say anything, just turned around to show him her ruined clothes and scarred skin, with the two small stumps on her back being the only thing that remained of her wings.
She heard a horrified gasp escape the boy's lips. She heard the sound of hurried steps running out of the room.
Well, she probably scared him out of his wits, was the scarring really that awful to look at? It isn't like she had seen it for herself. Well, if anything, she at least knew his was probably not an act and he was just a naïve young boy acting on his gut feelings.
Mittelt glanced at the door, it was still half open. She could try to escape, though that would probably be a death sentence. But at this point… was death just preferrable compared to what she would possibly endure?
She was still contemplating her options where the door barged fully open and the boy hurriedly returned with an older girl in tow.
"Please Lakyus, you have to help her! It is horrible!"
The boy almost sounded panicked. As the girl didn't waste time and knelt so she could inspect Mittelt's back. She heard the older blonde gasp and probably wince at the sight. But then, she felt a feeling of freshness overtake her body, followed by an unfamiliar but nonpainful tingling as a bright light illuminated her back.
The petite fallen angel did not turn, she did not move an inch, unsure of what was going on.
Then the light subsided as quickly as it came.
She blinked when she felt an unfamiliar hand on her black feathered wings.
Wait… her wings.
She tried to move the fired appendage, and much to her shock, she felt the familiar response compared to the emptiness of the last day.
Mittelt turned, her eyes wide, only to witness the boy gently caressing her wings that just grew back.
Her normal attitude and pride would have demanded for her to scold the boy for daring to touch her in such an intimate way. But she was too shocked, and she would dare say grateful, to do so.
"Good, it should all be healed up now."
The older blonde, she remembered being called Lakyus, said as she stood up while stretching her arms.
"So, this is were you lot run, I was looking for you, it is time for dinner."
The dark, cold, and casual tone send Mittelt's nerves in overdrive.
It is him!
It is him!
It is him!
It is him!
It is him!
She retracted her wings instinctively, as if to shield them from any potential attacks she was about to be subjected to. Not that it would help.
"Master Satoru!"
Cried out the boy, no Rayne, as he stepped in front of her and stared up his master with a challenging look.
"I understand that you are doing everything you can to help us get home, and I am grateful, but leaving Mittelt like this is unacceptable! Even as a prisoner!"
Rayne made his thoughts known. Mittelt had no idea how the boy was not shitting himself in fear, or even had the guts, or stupidity, needed to face such a monster.
She was ready to see him being blasted against the wall, a bloodstain all that would remain of the one who put himself between her and the monster.
But, as seconds passed, that did not happen, silence persisted as the boy did not stand down.
"Ah, are you already at that age yet… I see, I see… this might be a good lesson for you…"
The black monster mumbled under his breath.
"Very well then, from now on, she is your responsibility, take care of her, and her mistakes will be on you."
The dark robed being proclaimed, making Rayne lose his challenging expression in favor of a confused one.
Though, Mittelt was not confused at all. And she could not believe her ears either. For some reason she could not understand, she had been placed under the care of the boy… the same boy who brought her food and had her wings healed, something she thought impossible.
It was almost like… the monster had passed ownership over a pet.
For all it was demeaning to think in those terms, she could not do otherwise, since she was clearly not considered a being on the same level as them in his eyes.
But that was alright, if it saved her from being used as a guinea pig… she would become a pet, and it might not be that bad if the owner was that boy.
"I will be waiting upstairs."
The monster said before turning and vanishing outside the room, leaving a baffling Rayne behind.
"Well, what do you want me to do then… master."
Mittelt asked, feeling enboldened by the weight that has just been lifted from her shoulders.
"W-what? Don't call me that! Just Rayne is fine!"
The boy spluttered out.
"As you wish."
She just responded calmly.
"Anyway, about that dress…"
Her eyes immediately sharpened at his words, she thought he was a decent person till now, but if it turned out the boy had certain desires, she would have to reevaluate her stance.
"Do you want me to repair it?"
She blinked at the unexpected offer, taken aback as her mind had completely gone in another direction.
"I am okay at sewing, so I think I should be able to repair the back."
He explained, revealing another unexpected skill.
Cooking, sewing… Mittelt felt like asking him if he could always do the laundry, at least she would then be sure he is a keeper.
"But I only have this one dress though."
Her blue eyes witnessed the face of the boy go from completely pale to flaming red in a matter of seconds with the implication of him taking away her only dress.
It might have been the lessening of the fear she felt, or the caring attitude he displayed till now.
But Mittlelt could nott avoid noticing how fucking cute his blushing face was.
A small smirk made its way on her face for the first time in what seemed to be forever.
Yeah, definitely a keeper.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Hilma Cygnaeus has never been a woman to hide from the hardship of life. Be it the life of a prostitute assassin under the rule of Eight Fingers, or the life as the leader of the infamous Seven Hands, she endured and persevered.
But she swore, if another man in this forsaken world asked her on a date… she did not know if she could contain herself any longer without exploding.
She had half an idea of introducing Satoru as her husband just to get it over with and dissuade most of her suitors. But her benefactor has shut down the idea… well, that didn't hurt her feminine pride at all.
Nah, she was just kidding, she knew Satoru was just like that.
It was part of what made him so special in her eyes.
But still, she wished he could make an exception for once. Just to get most of these lecherous guys off her back. Hell, not only the teachers and gardeners, some of the boys in their last year asked if they could date her after graduation.
What the hell was wrong with this world?!
She knew she was a beautiful woman, that was what she built her career on before Satoru entered the picture, but still… she was not that good looking!
She sighed as she signed the last approval for the chemistry club's budget.
When she told the devil she was good with numbers, she did not expect him to relegate her to the position of financial administrator of the school.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Speaking of which, the young devil herself just came to collect her toll.
"It was no big deal student president."
She said stretching her legs in a casual display that apparently irked the fiend's sensibility.
Sona Shitori, or better known as Sona Sitri, was an interesting case in Hilma's book.
The girl fit the epithet of devil far better than her red-headed counterpart in Hilma's opinion. Cunning, and strategical to the extreme. Though, she lacked the flexibility needed for all that brain to reach its full potential. But that was also something gained with age. For now Sona was more worried about not fucking up than being effective.
Ah, it was so strange to think of these two devils, even more the rest of the Student Council. They were just a bunch of kids who could sprout wings from their backs and could use some magic tricks. Not at all the macabre depiction of evilness the legend of some of the Evil Deities implied in her old world.
"I heard an interesting rumor from Rias, it seems one of yours is quite capable at chess… I always itch for a good game…"
The question went unspoken. Hilma had never been one for board games, though she found it strange that such a thing existed both in this world and their old one.
Then again, till school hours ended, she didn't have anything better to do.
"You would not make me bargain my soul, now would you miss president."
For the first time since Hilma met her, Sona's lips actually curved up in a slight smile of amusement.
"It would be in poor sport to do so, after all… making sure your clients won't ask for your services ever again is a poor business tactic in the long run."
The devil rebutted as she made a chessboard appear out of nowhere.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Arche was pissed, no, scratch that! She was furious!
When she was still in the academy she heard of jilted lovers and raging maidens.
She had always promised herself to be better, to be noble, and that she would never allow her future partner to even entertain the thought of cheating on her.
And yet, what she had before her was something that threatened to make her lose that composure, break her promise, and give into violence.
Rayne, that dolt! It was not enough that he practically became putty into that whorish black haired woman's hands, even sitting on her lap like an obedient whipped dog! No, he also had the audacity to prance around with that fallen angel who basically shadowed him everywhere he went!
It was infuriating!
Did those stolen kisses and faint touches mean nothing to him?! Those moments they shared?! That intimacy she had never allowed with anyone else?!
Even now, he sat there, with HER. His new excuse was that he was trying to replicate what the fallen angels could do and shape his lightning into a spear like they did.
But Arche could see it, that gaze he had in his eyes while looking at HER.
And the worst thing above everything was… that they never agreed upon everything regarding their relationship.
Nothing was official, they actually never defined their relationship as anything more than friends.
If she thought back to the first time they met, it was like a cat meeting a dog. And yet, they came so far from that initial moment… or at least she thought so.
Apparently, she was alone in thinking that.
"You, come with me!"
She finally acted when she saw the fallen angel snuggle on Rayne's side with the excuse of showing him how to focus magic.
She grabbed him by the hand, basically dragging him behind her, not giving him a choice and ignoring his protest.
She shot a fierce glare at the blonde girl, daring her to follow them, all she got in return was a smirk and a wave of the hand by the infuriating fallen angel.
Arche entered her and Rayne's room, shutting the door behind them before pinning the boy against a wall. Her hands placed firmly on the sides of his head, blocking him from any escape route.
"Tell me, am I a joke to you?"
She growled out, her sea-blue eyes piercing his grass-green ones.
"W-what?"
She might have found the stutter endearing at one point, but this wasn't the moment nor the time.
"Don't play coy! I saw you and that girl! You think I am blind?! You think you can just put me aside like that?!"
Damn it! She could feel the tears gather in her eyes!
No! This was not the moment! She needed to look stern and decisive!
But no matter how much her brain screamed that, the tears kept coming and started trickling down her cheeks.
She felt a familiar hand cup her cheek as an handkerchief made quick work of her waterworks.
Why? Why does he have to be so thoughtful? Even when she wanted to hate him!
"I'm sorry, it's just… she looks like you, and when I saw her… in the basement, so scared after what master Satoru did… I just thought that I could not just stay put, I had to do something… and then master Satoru gave me responsibility over her and-"
His rant was interrupted when Arche pushed forward and locked her lips with his.
It was saltier than usual, she wondered if that was caused by the tears.
His words were as endearing as they were infuriating. After all her hair looked far better than HERS! Still, she had to admit, they looked quite alike.
"I don't mind being a side piece."
She almost screamed as she jumped back from Rayne and turned to face a smirking fallen angel looking at them with an amused grin.
"Oh, sorry, you weren't done yet?"
She asked in a mocking tone.
"Why… you…."
Arche growled under her breath before turning to the boy still pressed against the wall.
"Humph! You better discipline her! I will not accept being talked at like this! Got it! I will only allow you to keep her as long as she behaves!"
She finally huffed, giving in as silence descended into the room. The boy's jaw falling open as only one strangled sound could escape his mouth.
"Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh?!"
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Renner hatesd this world with her whole heart.
She could easily say so after a couple weeks here.
She hated the devils, the angels, and every other being that was present in this rotten world.
But, most of all, she hated whoever brought her here, for they have forced her to endure this hell on earth.
Her eye visibly twitched, her teeth were clenched, as she waited for the worst thing that could ever be to happen.
Those accursed devils will pay for this… she will not forget this slight against her person.
It was unconceivable that her Satoru would have to play such a role… she even suggested the boy did it, but it would not seem convincing enough apparently.
Tsk! How she hated this!
Her loathing had apparently been enough to unnerve the devil with some kind of emotion sensing, seeing how the white haired petite girl was standing in the opposite corner, as distant as possible while still being in the same room.
She sipped her tea hoping, for once, it was poisoned, at least she would have an excuse to skip whatever charade was about to go down.
With a magic circle, followed by a pillar of flames the man, or devil in this case, of the hour arrived.
He was the stereotypical noble son. Blessed with some good looks, that would never make up for his probable lack of brain. His movement emanating superiority in every gesture, as if the world owed him something.
The princess immediately lost any interest in the puny insect that was set up for failure. She really hoped this would be worth it, otherwise she might just decide to start a war between those three factions just to fuck them over.
"Rias! My dear! Have you heard of our anticipated marriage yet? It is such good news for the underworld when two devils of such pedigree finally come together!"
The young man proclaimed, not knowing yet what was planned for him.
She had to admit, that Lucifer devil was quite a sneaky one. Promoting the marriage on one side while setting it up for failure under the table.
Not that she was impressed, she could have done better with the geopolitical knowledge she had at her disposal. If it was her, by the end of it, the house of Phenex would have no choice between becoming a vassal house or be destroyed.
"Riser, I guess you are right on that front, I have asked my parents to get this over with."
The red-headed devil was a terrible liar, Renner could see the nervousness etched in every feature on her face. Luckily for her, her current betrothed didn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the box.
"Ah, I am glad you ame around… after all that opposition."
He said once he regained his bearings.
"Yes, I just wanted to experience all I could before marriage, you know? Experiencing the human world has been interesting, and scratching every itch I had, even more."
Well, at least, it seems like innuendos came to her easily enough, or else this whole plan might have fallen apart.
The disappearance of the smile from Riser's face was all Renner needed to know that the metaphorical sinker trembled.
"What do you mean by that?"
He asked cautiously, still probably trying to probe if he just misunderstood her words.
"Well, you should know about it, it's not like you have not experimented either with that peerage of yours."
Hook, line, and sinker. Renner saw the devil's expression contort in rage as flames erupted from his back, like wings.
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?! YOU HAVE BEEN DESPOILED?! BY WHOM?! I DEMAND TO KNOW!"
He roared. His hypocritical and fragile ego was even worse than she expected, to give in into emotions so easily. These devils looked more like idiotic nobles than anything else.
"Lord Riser, I ask you to calm down, violence will not be tolerated."
The silver-haired maid said harshly, causing the male devil to rethink his actions and forcing him to reduce the output of his flames.
"I understand… still, that is a breach of the contract! And I will not stand for it!"
The devil growled out his grievances.
"Indeed, virginity is a stipulation of the contract, that is… on both sides."
The maid agreed in a razor-sharp tone that made the male devil flinch.
"I don't know what you are trying to insinuate, you have no proof against me."
The devil smirked while crossing his arms.
"On mine neither, you just seem to have got that impression from my words, but that is your interpretation, no matter how much you would like your word to be law."
The man visibly gritted his teeth.
A knock interrupted their debate as the door opened and a certain dark robed caster strolled inside in all his glorious height.
"You lot are still busy… well, I brought some cake."
As usual, Satoru's acting was unfathomable. For her peace of mind, Renner would imagine he meant that only for her and her alone.
"Thank you, Satoru, you are always so thoughtful."
Rias thanked him, even though Renner could see she was clearly faking it. But apparently her fiancée was actually dumb or mad enough to fall for such poor acting.
"And who is this emo clown, going around as if it was the 15th century? Don't tell me you started recruiting actors now Rias."
Renner had to bit her lip from refraining from saying something she would regret, not because of the consequences, but because the plan was working.
"Oh no, he is just a mage… he is a kind older man who helped me… scratch some itches, you know."
The red-haired devil said while accepting the cake from Satoru's hands, making sure to caress his gloves while taking it.
"THAT'S IT!"
A pillar of flames enveloped the raging male devil at the display taking place before his eyes.
"I don't know what you are talking about Riser, you should be happy your wife will be so experienced from the start."
"DIE!"
A giant fireball was shot toward Satoru only to be intercepted and nullified by Grayfia.
"Lord Riser, I already warned you, no violence will be tolerated… now, if you wish to issue a duel, this would not be against my orders as long as no violence takes place here."
The maid said, guiding the fool exactly right in the trap.
The idiot didn't even stop to contemplate the possible bait.
"I DEMAND A DUEL YOU BASTARD! I WILL MURDER YOU!"
The devil yelled, still enveloped by his flames, that were making a charred mess of the floor.
"Lord Lucifer thought that something like this could happen… so he established that the duel might take place in the form of a Rating Game, with Lord Satoru's agreement, of course… and the one winner will be bale to make a request out of him."
The maid explained, turning toward the masked caster who remained silent till that moment.
"Umu, that is not a problem, though I am a busy man, tomorrow is the most convenient day for me."
The unbothered tone of Satoru reminded Renner of someone who wasn't even paying attention, which only added further fuel to the metaphorical, and physical, fire.
"If you are so eager to die I will indulge you, scum!"
The devil growled out in barely controlled rage.
"Just one question though, are you perhaps a phoenix in disguise? I don't remember phoenixes being part of devil culture."
Renner could not suppress her snort, which went unnoticed, at Satoru's words. Satoru will always be himself, even when he was forced to play an act.
"Ah! Just shows how ignorant you are! My clan is composed by the descendants of the Great Phoenix! The mythical being! The embodiment of fire!"
The black robed caster did not answer the insult, but his blue gems hiding his eyes shined with a familiar glint. Something that Renner knew well by now.
Satoru will be Satoru, I guess.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Hilma sighed as she settled in her seat, she would have normally appreciated the comfort of a pillowed seat but right now she could not at all focus on that.
You may ask why.
Well, she was sitting across to a bunch of super powerful devils, one of which could go toe to toe with Satoru according to him.
"You look rather pale, miss, is everything alright?"
The handsome crimson haired man asked.
"Of course she is, her human friend is currently facing my son, Riser might not be as gifted as Ruval, but he is certainly no pushover in the Rating Games department."
A blond man said jovially while stroking his mustache.
"Now, now, Lord Phenex, it is not good sportsmanship to favor your son so openly before the game even started."
Spoke another crimson haired man who seemed to be in his late forties.
"Satoru is going to kill them all, if Lakyus doesn't get to them first."
The cold and chilling words delivered by the princess sitting next to Hilma sent a chill down her spine, and even the devils themselves seemed taken aback by the unsettling statement.
Absolute silence descended in the room for a few seconds.
"You seem rather confident in your friends, young lady."
The only female devil, a buxom blonde broke the silence, addressing Renner directly.
"Your son committed two fatal mistakes before even descending on the battlefield, and those are going to be his end… not that he would have stood a chance anyway, but he might have had the chance to surrender."
The princess continued, absolute certainty in her tone.
"Oh, and what would those be, little girl…"
The blond male asked with something between mock and curiosity in his tone.
Renner just shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, first, he basically owns slaves, that makes him a target for Lakyus' anger."
The words seemed to upset most demons in the room.
"Lady Renner, please avoid using that term, it is a matter of pride and differentiation between the Old Satan Faction and the Four Devil Kings Faction, we pride ourselves on treating reincarnated devils as people, implying otherwise is a grave insult."
The silver-haired maid Satoru battled before intervened.
"Either way, to Lakyus it doesn't matter, if they are supposed to obey someone else's orders and are not free to leave, then they are slaves in her book… as she once told me… those who think they can command the lives of others should have their own stolen… or something like that, now that I think about it, I think the saying was from a friend of Satoru."
The blond man scoffed derisively at her words.
"Who even is this Lakyus, you speak of, since I never heard of that name, she seems rather unremarkable."
He mocked.
"Lord Phenex, Lady Lakyus is none other than this generation's Red Dragon Emperor."
That seemed to shut the man up for good, as he suddenly looked on edge.
"You mentioned another mistake miss Renner, mind to enlighten us?"
The crimson haired and bearded man asked.
"I think I will let that one be a surprise, after all you wouldn't get it till it happened, let's just say… Satoru always had a strange fascination for unique items… or people."
The princess said cryptically, though, Hilma knew exactly what she was talking about, and it didn't bode well for the opposite side if any of them caught the eye of Satoru.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Lakyus ran through the forest, the game had just started but she already felt her wrath grow stronger and stronger.
This was the exact kind of person she wanted to eradicate from the world.
Who gave that prick the right to enslave all those poor women and probably do unspeakable things to them?!
Oh, how she hated this! This world truly sucked!
'Partner, keep your mind still, or else you won't be able to properly focus during a fight.'
The voice of Ddraig echoed in her mind.
The Red Dragon Emperor had swiftly turned out to be an easily befriendable fellow, and a great master when it came to hand to hand fighting and his abilities.
It might have been that, after she discovered his condition, she swore to free him as soon as she could, but Lakyus like to think he genuinely just was a nice guy.
He kind of reminded her of Riyuro.
She really hoped she could come back to her friends soon.
The young knight was forced to stop when she entered a clearing and came face to face with all of the women that bastard enslaved.
She heard Rayne, Arche, and Mittelt, the fallen angel, land behind her.
Satoru directly went to confront that bastard of a slaver, though she hoped to find him first and teach him a lesson.
"Lord Riser wants to confront that masked human alone, so we are here to block your way, do not resist and we will eliminate you painlessly."
The buxom violet-haired flying woman said with a not-so-reassuring smirk.
"We don't have to fight! Soon that monster will be dead and you all shall be freed from this slavery."
Silence descended in the clearing, all the women facing her seemed to be either confused or baffled.
"W-what are you saying?"
The one to ask that was none other than a blonde girl with crystal blue eyes which resembled the monster himself in some way. Could he have gone as low as to enslave a relative?
"You all must have suffered quite a lot, I get it, it all seems quite bleak, but I swear, I will save you from this torment."
She proclaimed with absolute certainty.
"L-Lord Riser is not like that! How dare you?!"
The violet-haired woman yelled in outrage receiving nods of agreement from the others.
Lakyus shook her head in sadness. They were so broken they could not even recognize what that monster did as evil.
"I am truly sorry, but if there is no other way to save you…"
She summoned her blade in her hands, a nice little trick Ddraig taught her, the giant dark sword shining like the midnight starred sky.
"Charge!"
Ordered the buxom woman.
As one all the girls and women moved, but Lakyus was faster, she used the blunt side of her blade to hit the two demi-humans with cat-like features, sending them fly away, hopefully unconscious.
"Lord Riser's Two Pawns: Retired."
She heard an ethereal voice speak, probably announcing the fact the two she just hit were out of the game, if you could call it even that.
"Oh, you are a swordswoman! I love when I meet someone with some skill!"
An armored silver-haired woman blocked her way.
"I am sorry, I would have loved to spar with you, maybe we could after this is over, but now I don't have time to entertain you."
Lakyus apologized before dashing forward activating her [Flow Acceleration] Martial Art, using a faint to confuse her adversary and then use the pommel of her blade to hit her stomach, sending her on her knees.
Before she could deliver the final blow she felt two presence jump on her from behind.
She had only enough time to turn and block the double strike with her blade.
The two girls who just punched her blade possessed considerable strength, but she was used to sparring with Riyuro, the most powerful, strength wise, in her team.
"[Ability Boost]"
She felt the power of the Martial Art flow over her as she pushed the two of off her before turning around and discovering another knight had come to help the one she downed.
Other girls surrounded her from all fronts.
Regardless of that bleak position, a grin split her face in two.
"Bring it on!"
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Rayne dodged the fire spell and sent a bolt right back at his opponent.
What was it with him and cute blue-eyed blondes these days?
Was the universe trying to tell him something.
Not that he was about to complain mind you.
The noble-looking girl wearing an adorable pink dress dodged his lightning by a hair.
Arche was already engaged in magic combat with another caster and so could not give him back up, but that was fine, luckily for him, his usual sparring partner was a fire caster.
"DO you need help? My holy magic is extremely effective against devils."
He heard Mittelt ask from behind him.
At some point in the past he might have accepted, but by now, he had already accepted his path as a battle caster, and in master Satoru's own words, you can't learn if you are willing to let others fight your battles.
"No, thanks, she is mine!"
He might have yelled that a bit too loud as even Arche turned for a moment to glare at him.
"Oh? She is yours? How bold of you Master Rayne… I am a bit jealous."
The misinterpretation of his words, plus the teasing, caused him to blush from head to toe. And judging by the pink dusting on his opponent's cheeks, he might have said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
"Y-you beast! What do you think you are s-saying! I am a daughter of the Noble House of Phenex!"
She yelled from up above him, sending down another wave of fire he blocked with a [Magic Mirror].
"Well Arche is a noble too, you know?!"
He yelled back, he was not some brute after all, he knew manners!
"Hear that blondie! He already got experience with turning noble ladies into his playthings!"
Rayne gawked at the yelling fallen angel's words. Why the hell was she doing that?! This was so embarrassing!
Even his opponent looked scandalized and… fearful?
"No! what I meant is that I know my manners! I know how to treat a noble lady!"
He yelled trying to protest the fallen angel's words. It took him only a moment to realize how his words were not the best either.
"You… You animal!"
The blonde devil yelled, her fire wings, that Rayne personally thought looked extremely cool, blazed even brighter.
"Lord Riser one Pawn: Retired"
"Lord Riser one Rook: Retired"
"Lord Riser one Bishop: Retired"
"Lord Riser one Knight: Retired"
Well, someone was going on a spree there, and he had an idea on who it could be.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Lakyus panted.
She might have overdone it by immediately going in with all those Martial Arts from the get-go.
She was used to one-on-one duels, not to get jumped like that.
And while most of those opponents were nothing to write home about, they were not exactly weak either. Not counting that violet-haired lady flying around and sending fireballs her way like there was no tomorrow.
She dodged another swing of the only remaining knight as two kids tried to slice her in two with those weird moving blades of theirs.
She was ready to counter when a huge explosion deafened her and sent her flying.
She was stopped when her back impacted a tree.
Lakyus' skull rattled, she felt almost nauseous, but she soon regained her bearings.
She was surrounded, apparently, she had pushed herself too hard too soon… a shame, she would actually need to use it.
'Ready when you are Partner'
She acknowledged Ddraig's words as the Boosted Gear appeared on her arm.
"[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker]!"
She felt her power resurge to its peak and even grow beyond. This was the second time she had experienced this. It was exhilarating, she wondered if this is how drugs feel.
Crimson armor covered every inch of her body her green eyes shined ever brighter behind the emeralds hiding them.
"Let's end this Ddraig!"
"Yes, Partner!"
Lakyus took hold of her blade as she felt the power surge inside her.
"[Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]!"
Gritting her teeth through the strain of holding all that power, Lakyus swung her sword, activating her ultimate ability.
"[Explosion]!"
"[Dark Blade Mega Impact]!"
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Rayne was floating, he had to thank Arche for helping him with the [Fly] spell later, otherwise he would have stood no chance.
His opponent had sustained some damage from his attacks, but her natural regeneration was insane! The only sign of him doing anything was the damage her pink dress sustained.
He had half an idea to ask for backup when he saw it.
A giant wave of darkness, coming directly their way, ripping apart anything in its path.
He recognized it immediately, but that was not at all how he remembered the attack. This was massive, at least ten, if not more, times the normal size.
Without caring anymore about his battle he could only do one thing.
"LOOK OUT!"
He dashed toward her opponent, caught off guard by his shout and the incoming wave of darkness. He slammed into her, pushing her down toward the forest floor.
He had activated the speed booster of his robes, otherwise he would have never made it.
The two of them hit the floor and Rayne pushed them down against the floor as much as possible.
He felt the shockwave of the attack shook the ground itself as wind threatened to blast him away.
When the attack finally subsided, he opened his eyes, only to be greeted by no longer a forest, but the battlefield of Dragon Lord.
Everything was uprooted, soil was scattered everywhere, creating small hills, and a crater was left where there was first a clearing.
He looked down to make sure his opponent was alright.
He was shocked to find her blue eyes full of unshed tears.
He was about to ask if she was hurt when his breath was caught in his throat.
The upper part of her dress was completely gone and the two of them were pressed against each other. Only now he noticed how his hands were no longer on her dress, but were in direct contact with soft flesh he was not supposed to be touching.
"Y-you beast… you have defiled me… take responsibility!"
That was all he heard before his mind finally gave way and he fainted.
-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-
Satoru was, for once, eager to face his opponent. A rare thing since he came to this world.
He had observed his students and protegee's matches. It had been an interesting experience, even more due to that absolutely broken Sacred Gear Lakyus got. He was pretty sure that attack could actually harm him, well, not really since he was immune to darkness damage, but it certainly possessed enough sheer power.
"So, you finally show your face!"
The arrogant voice grated on his ears.
Yeah, the reason why he was eager to fight was not certainly for his choice of opponents, but for rather what he could gain from him.
"I commend you for actually showing up! It takes guts to face-"
"Shut up."
He already had enough of this, his patience was at its ends for this world.
"Hey!-"
"Shut up."
A bolt of lightning shot directly through his opponent's chest causing him to drop back before catching himself.
Satoru noticed how the wounds quickly regenerated, making him more intrigued about the specimen he had before him.
"That hur-"
"Shut up."
Satoru closed the distance between the two before sending him barreling downward the ground with a simple [Gravity Pull].
He descended toward the downed young man.
To his credit, this time around, instead of trying to speak, his opponent sent a wave of fire his way.
Satoru didn't even bother to dodge as the flames were simply nullified by his passive. He simply waited there for him to exhaust himself.
It took less than expected for that to happen.
"HOW?!"
He hard the man shout as he didn't bother to explain himself and just cut off his legs with a spell before holding him down with another, so that he could not fly away.
"Ahah… ahahahah… you cannot… win! I am… immortal!"
The young man laughed even in his state as his legs started regenerating, much to Satoru's interest.
"Well, that is even better."
The dark robed caster said much to the confusion of his opponent.
"You see, those fallen angels I killed turned out to be a waste of time… their hearts were little better than a human one, their skin was basically the same as a demi-human, and their bones were completely useless… but you, you are the descendant of a Great Phoenix, as you said, your body parts must be prime materials… organs, skin, and bones… I will put everything you have to good use… and since you can regenerate, I will be able to accumulate hundreds, no, thousands of high tier materials… you are a living cheat code, and I am so grateful for your, even if unwilling, cooperation."
As he spoke, he could see the fire extinguish, both physically and metaphorically, from the young man's eyes as he realized his position and terror downed on him.
He reached for him with his hand, eager to begin.
"NO! STAY AWAY! I FORFEIT! I FORFEIT!"
The man screamed as a light enveloped him and he disappeared. Soon enough the same thing happened to him. He had to take off his anti-teleportation ring for this event to work. He made a mental note to reequip it as soon as possible.
He found himself back in the waiting room, where the various lords of their noble houses stood.
"Well, congratulations, Sir Satoru, a splendid display!"
His partner in crime, the devil king Lucifer, immediately greeted him.
"As the victor, you may ask for anything you wish."
His eyes darted around as the devil continued to speak, till he found the focus of his interest, the young man he had at his mercy, now hiding behind a woman who very much looked like him in features.
"That body belongs to me, I have defeated him in battle, so now, I should be allowed to harvest it… no one said no loot when establishing rules after all, I checked."
The young man's parents immediately shielded him from Satoru's gaze, much to his annoyance.
He returned his attention to the devil king to ask for his help on the matter, but he saw his smile was threatening to fall.
Oh, yes…
He almost forgot.
"Anyway, my wish you say… well, since this whole marriage seems like a domestic abuse case waiting to happen, I would say just annul it and be done with it."
As the words left his mouth, the devil king's smile brightened immediately.
"Consider it done."
Lucifer said with barely contained glee.
Now that Satoru did his part, he expected the devil to honor their agreement, but that was for another day.
With the corner of his eye he saw a certain red-headed girl approach the Phenex boy.
"Riser, I really don't understand why you did all of this."
What? Was she still acting? He did not understand where the girl was going with this.
"I mean, I know it is a commoner's hobby… but did you really have to throw away an entire engagement over me learning how to bake?"
Silence descended in the room for a second before chaos erupted.
"Wait, Rias dear, Riser told us you have been cheating on him multiple times with that… that man!"
The blonde woman interrogated the younger one.
"I don't know what to say Lady Phenex, I just to him I wanted to try out everything I could think off before marriage, I really like sweets and so asked this man to teach me how to bake a cake… believe it or not, he is quite good at it."
If Satoru had any doubts about the girl being a devil, they were gone by now.
That was just cruel, the boy had already lost everything, she was taking away any respect those who loved him had for him and his intelligence with this.
He was glad Renner would never resembled the viciousness of this girl.
He turned to Lucifer one more time while everything was unfolding.
"Are you sure I can't even have one heart?... They can regenerate."
There is no need to say, his question went unanswered, for there, in the middle of the room, a new figure just appeared. Black hair and grey eyes, clothed like someone out of Peroronicino's favorite H-game.
Their eyes locked as her lips parted.
"Found you."