A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 40: Interludes.
Rias Gremory.
Kuoh Academy.
The world had turned upside down, and no one but me had noticed.
No, I maybe it wasn't at that point... but it was getting there. Akeno already told me I was catastrophizing. That it only made that bastard ignore me even harder, just for his own amusement.
But I was right. And Akeno was wrong. Dante wasn't a sadist like her. It couldn't be.
No one could deny Sona had changed, and it had been months since it started.
And yes, it was driving me absolutely insane. Mostly because she refused to tell me what she and Dante did whenever he visited, and most importantly, he ignored me!
Hell, I only found out around the third time he came to Kuoh, and he didn't even send me a message.
Fucking blonde, blue-eyed, handsome bastard. As if anyone who knew Sona didn't know what was happening behind the scenes.
That was the part that really got under my skin.
Not that he was fooling around with my childhood friend. The Satans knew Sona needed to relax, even if it wasn't how I expected she'd go about it.
It also wasn't that he had somehow turned the most repressed, uptight, control-obsessed devil I had ever known into someone who giggled at her phone during class. He was a miracle worker, and I could only blame myself for not pushing our friendship further back then.
Yes, we were friends. But not to the level I wanted.
It had gotten to the point that I was one hundred percent sure he could make Father neuter himself and cancel the marriage contract I didn't even want over a single dinner. And he could probably seduce my mother for good measure, just to have fun.
No, what pissed me off like nothing else was that Dante Andromalius was here, literally teasing Sona while we were in class, kneeling next to my desk, and he didn't say a single hello.
The only reason I even noticed was that Sona clamped her thighs down on his head hard enough to make him drop the effect of his clan trait from how hard he laughed.
And you want to know the worst part?
I didn't even know if that had been part of his plan or a genuine mistake. Sona almost died on the spot from shame, making every human in the room, and the nearest four, forget an entire hour of their lives.
But him?
He just found it amusing. Like it was a normal game he played with her.
While next to me. Ignoring me.
Me. Rias Gremory. The most popular girl in Kuoh. The most desired devil of the younger generation. Back in the Underworld, every devil, no matter their age, turned their heads when I walked past.
I had seen him do it during our dance at Sona's party, even if most of it was an act.
And now?
He treated me like I was wallpaper: there, but not important.
I adjusted my skirt again. It was shorter than what I was used to, and that was saying something, but I was done. I would not be ignored anymore.
Short enough to surprise even the most lustful devils. Sona would normally send me home for even talking about it.
But today?
She just snorted and said nothing.
She knew why I was wearing it. The dark, amused glint in her violet eyes told me she found my attempts hilarious.
"You're fidgeting again," Akeno murmured beside me.
She bit her lip in that way she did whenever she "helped" me destress, which sent a shiver down my spine. "Are you sure it was a good idea not to wear anything underneath? That's bold, even for you. You might make Dante jump you with all the teasing you have planned."
"Shut up, Akeno." I turned, trying to ignore the nuclear blush burning across my skin.
That wasn't what I wanted, okay?! I just wanted him to finally pay attention to me. That was all.
If he wanted more, he'd have to beg. He should make up for every time he ignored me.
"I'm just saying, if the goal is to get him to stop ignoring you, maybe something more subtle would work better. A perfume? Sitting next to him and caressing his thigh? Not dressing like you're auditioning for a..."
"Akeno." I turned and sent a stream of water her way. "If you finish that sentence, I will make sure Sona learns about that photo you have of her dressed like a magical girl when we were younger."
My Queen's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. A shiver of pure terror ran through her before the amusement returned.
I knew what I was doing. I wasn't an idiot.
I understood on an intellectual level that my sudden interest in Dante was at least partially manufactured. The same competitive instinct had driven my rivalry with Sona since childhood.
She had something I didn't.
Someone who looked at her like she mattered beyond her family name, her power, or even her appearance.
He treated her the way I wanted someone to want me.
And he chose her.
Even when others never did because they were too busy paying attention to me.
I was probably being manipulated by that handsome bastard. He was likely laughing behind my back, maybe even betting with Sona on how far I would go.
Yet, knowing this didn't stop me from hiking my skirt a little higher.
I was pathetic.
And it was turning me on like nothing ever before.
Just imagining Sona watching all powerless while I did everything I wanted with Dante made my whole body lock up. A perverse giggle slipped out before I could stop it.
The door to my clubroom opened without knocking, and Sona walked in like she owned the place, Momo right behind her.
She looked… softer today.
It was subtle. Someone who didn't know her wouldn't notice. But I did. The looseness in her shoulders. The tiny, eager smile trying to slip past her usual stoic act.
Six months ago, I would have killed for this.
Now?
Now I wanted to shake her until the old Sona came back. At least she'd been miserable with me.
"What has you grinning, Sona?" I asked casually. Aunty Misla said Dante was coming here, but I didn't know if he had told her.
Sona's lips twitched before she forced them still. "Dante is coming by for a bit before he goes to visit Tandy's hometown… wherever that is."
I had to physically stop myself from squealing.
The way she said Tandy's name, like she was her mortal enemy, while blushing?
Adorable.
Tandy was nice. I liked her. And she was like me… just with a sadistic streak like my Queen. She had been pushing me to be bolder for some reason.
She also promised Dante didn't know about our messages.
…I believed her. Despite all the warning signs.
"Didn't you have training scheduled?" Sona asked. "I remember you asked for today's slot."
"There was a change of plans." I shrugged. I wouldn't admit that Aunty's message made me drop my chance to use the special gym Sirzechs and Serafall built here. "Nothing to worry about."
Sona hummed. "That's not what Akeno told me."
I sent a murderous look at my traitorous Queen, who only shrugged.
"Speaking of visitors," Sona continued, more serious now, "did you finally decide to deal with the Fallen? I'll repeat myself, it's a bad idea to go with your original plan."
I winced and sighed at the disappointment in Tsubaki's eyes and the resignation in Akeno's. The reproach in Sona's tone stung the most.
"I was wrong, alright?!" I didn't argue. "It's not… fair to her. I'll ask Dante for help. You said he'd be interested in both the Fallen and… whatever you meant about the girl."
"He might help you more than you think," Sona replied smugly. "As long as you pay him, of course."
For a moment, I felt the overwhelming urge to smother her in her sleep.
Calm. I needed to stay calm.
The conversation brought the girl to mind.
Isane Hyoudou.
There was something… off about her. And not just the overwhelming dragon scent. It was so strong, I had to swap Koneko with Kiba just to keep an eye on her.
"Did you find out why she smells so strongly to Koneko?" Sona asked. "Or ask someone more knowledgeable, as I suggested?"
"I told you I don't want anyone to know about her," I sighed. "She could be my silver bullet, considering how strong her draconic aura is. You've seen what she does just by being near that friend of hers."
"Don't wait too long," Sona said. "You're lucky no one else has noticed. But the Fallen are already preparing to move."
"Thanks for the advice." I rolled my eyes but took it seriously.
Sona smiled brighter than usual as she looked at her phone.
If only I could ignore the way she pressed her thighs together and bit her lip.
Ugh.
I was so jealous.
Beelzebub's Laboratory.
Ajuka Beelzebub.
The readings didn't make sense. Something that was the norm when it came to Dante Andromalius.
I set the tablet down on my desk and rubbed the bridge of my nose, staring at the three-dimensional projection of the Ashen Court's sealed zone floating in the center of my lab.
Over forty-seven scans using every methodology I had developed in my career. The Kankara formula still returned the same result when I pointed it at the black fog Dante used to teleport.
Inconclusive.
My formula could deconstruct and analyze any phenomenon in this universe down to its conceptual framework. But when looking at Dante Andromalius's magic spell, it just… stuttered.
Something that had not happened even once in all my years in power.
It was infuriating and also the most exciting thing in over three centuries.
And it wasn't even the only spell I couldn't decipher. I had seen Dante create a second, then a third orb of unlimited, pure, light-infused water right in front of me.
That process made my head hurt like nothing else. The fog didn't make sense, but that was all.
The second one?
It made my nose bleed just attempting to analyze it.
Whatever he did didn't follow any of the rules established in the world. It did what many others could, but in a unique way only that smug bastard could. It was scary... And exhilarating.
It was as if he said something, and the world had no option but to obey. But that left the biggest question there was.
What kind of being could do that? Only Gods could. And Dante Andromalius was not one. I checked. Thoroughly.
Six months later, I still hadn't figured out what the right answer was. I had run every scenario I could think of, and none explained the anomaly I had shared tea with over fifteen times in these past months.
The lab doors slammed open with enough force to crack the frame, and the temperature dropped fifteen degrees in a single second.
"AJUKA!"
I just sighed. Why couldn't I be left alone for my experiments?
I didn't look up from my readings. "Serafall. What brings you here?"
Serafall Leviathan stormed in wearing her magical girl outfit, which meant she had come directly from filming. Her twin tails bounced with every furious step, but her eyes held nothing of the cheerful persona she showed the world.
These eyes could freeze the blood of a weaker devil.
"We need to talk about your friend," she hissed, dropping into the chair across from me without invitation.
"Which friend?" My lip quirked at the amusing question.
"Don't." She pointed a finger at me. "You don't have friends outside of us. You know who I'm talking about."
I set down my tablet with a sigh. "What has Dante done now?"
"What hasn't he done?!" Serafall's voice cracked between fury and something else I didn't name to keep things civil. "The whole underworld knows Sona came here and didn't stay with our parents!"
"I'm aware," I nodded calmly, "he said he had fun."
"Fun!?" Her ice magic crept across my desk, and I flicked it away with a thought. "And you didn't think about stopping them? Think about my parents' reaction, smelly Ajuka! They shouted at me for over an hour and tried to call Sona back! She ignored them for the first time in her life, and our father was livid while Mom cackled. You didn't think of that?"
"I see a newly restored noble house, aligned with our faction, producing a product that has started reshaping the Underworld's economy away from Zekram's grasp, training soldiers that will come to our aid as long as we keep our word, and keeping the Great King Faction occupied with petty trade disputes instead of plotting against us." I met her eyes. "I also see your sister happier than she's been in years. Would you like to tell me which part is the problem?"
Serafall opened her mouth just to click it shut a second later.
"I hate you," she said.
"You hate that I'm right. And will you finally admit why this affects you so much?"
She slumped in the chair, her persona cracking further until only the real Serafall remained. One of my best friends, the one I loved like a sister. "He sent me her panties, Ajuka."
I paused in disbelief. Did he? Did he really do something like that?
... I already knew the answer to that.
"It's not even the first time. He does it every time she visits him! The first time, the pair was sodden, and they landed directly on my face while I was in a very serious meeting with Behe-chan!"
I had to actively suppress a reaction to that. Not because it was funny, which it objectively was, but because Serafall would have frozen my lab solid. And probably do her best to freeze me, too.
"And?" I asked carefully.
"And I had to excuse myself for two hours while I dealt with..." she gestured vaguely at herself, "...everything that caused."
"Did anyone notice?"
"My office walls shook like it was an earthquake..." She crossed her arms and looked to the side. "That's not the point. The point is that Dante Andromalius is doing whatever he wants with my sister, flaunting it in my face, and I can't do a single thing about it because So-tan is happy."
The last word came out like a curse, amusingly enough.
"She is," I agreed simply. "And so could you."
Serafall froze for a second before she let out a disbelieving laugh.
"You know," she said simply.
"I can infer," I corrected. "Your infatuation with Sona is not something I didn't know of, Sera."
I did something I had not done in… centuries. I patted her head, "A relationship between you two would bring more trouble than it's worth, for both of you. But if you were in a relationship with the same devil, no one would care. That's why he's been pushing you that hard while breaking all inhibitions Sona has."
Serafall pushed her head against my palm, and I let out a laugh.
"Such a manipulative bastard, no?" I chuckled darkly, "and here we are, two of the strongest devils our race has to offer, and he keeps playing around us. Three, if you add Sirzechs, even if he's joking, unlike you."
"And Baldy hates him with all his heart," Serafall giggled at the absurdity of it all, before falling silent for a minute.
"He's good for her," she finally said, and it sounded like it physically hurt. "I hate it, but he is."
"Then perhaps that's enough."
"It's not enough," Serafall stood, her persona sliding back into place. "But it's what I have. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an episode to film where my character is mind-controlled by a villain who bears absolutely no resemblance to a certain blond devil."
"The product placement for Tandy's tea?"
"Nyra already sent the contract. That woman is terrifyingly efficient." Serafall paused at the door. "Ajuka?"
"Hm?"
"If he hurts So-tan, I will freeze the Ashen Court solid. Satans, alliances, and political consequences be damned."
"I know," I said calmly. "I also know he's aware of that, and I suspect it's one of the reasons he respects you. Apart from that, I believe he genuinely cares for Sona."
She didn't respond. The door closed behind her, and the temperature returned to normal.
I picked up my tablet and stared at the readings once more.
Inconclusive.
What was the right answer, Dante?
I would not ask for the answers. I would not give the smug bastard that honor of winning against me.
Bael Territory.
Lord Bael.
The letter sat on my desk, unopened. Was it the fourth or the fifth? I didn't remember thanks to the anger it brought.
This one was the same as the last three, just with extra wax and a sigil I didn't recognize stamped on top of mine.
As if a letter from the Lord of the Bael house meant nothing.
My wife was staying with a boy who hadn't existed in the political landscape a year ago, and he was returning my correspondence as if my name didn't matter more than that of a simple merchant. And that disgrace, the one that embarrassingly came from my loins, remained there as a vassal of all things.
"You're going to break that desk if you keep gripping it."
The voice came from the shadow of the fireplace, making me jump from my seat in alarm. Zekram Bael said nothing else and simply waited until I moved out of my chair before taking the seat like it belonged to him.
As if he hadn't passed his position to me centuries ago.
"He's making a mockery of my house," I said through gritted teeth.
"He's making a mockery of you," Zekram corrected calmly. "Why do all the times you act without asking me first end in failure, boy?"
I felt the rage spike, but I held it in, even as I wanted to lash out.
"Misla refuses to return. She's living in his territory, in a castle warded by Beelzebub himself, protected by my own son who now calls himself a vassal of this... this upstart." The word was barely understandable with how hard I clenched my teeth. "A Bael, serving an Andromalius. Do you understand how the other houses see us?"
"I understand perfectly," Zekram said neutrally. "What I wonder is if you have what it takes to make things right, now that our ace has been dismantled by the same child."
I glared at the window.
"This isn't about Misla," he continued, looking at me like I was a disappointment.
I was already used to that.
"At least, not anymore. You have one chance to fix this, boy."
"The import restrictions we're using will take time to damage him." I clenched my fists. "But I managed to convince other Lords to follow our lead."
"And you think that will matter?" He sighed, sipping on some tea leaves from the same Andromalius boy. "You think your usual methods will work when he's allied with the Satans? The Astaroth has been seen visiting his castle over a dozen times. I don't recall any instance as such since he rose to that seat."
I didn't know what to answer to that.
"The boy is not an upstart," Zekram said quietly. "Upstarts burn bright before fading. This one will not fade like the rest. He has a territory that is growing faster than any new holding in living memory. He has a vassal with Bael blood and a grudge against this family. He has a product that the entire Underworld wants. He is everything I could ask for in someone of my blood."
"If he came from my line, I would be proud for what he has accomplished," Zekram looked at me plainly. "And he knows about the sleeping sickness."
"He hasn't said anything publicly," I gritted out.
"Not yet. Which means he's holding it for something. A weapon he can deploy whenever he chooses, and when he does, it won't be something we can silence like other things."
"He has no way of knowing who is responsible," I said slowly, only to receive a roll of Zekram's eyes.
"Is there any other?" he asked calmly. "Our faction was the one that benefited the most."
I sat down. The anger was still there, but it was being drowned by something worse.
Fear.
My nephew wouldn't hesitate to use that to bring my family to heel, and even if he couldn't do it without earning the ire of our faction, that knowledge alone was enough to severely cripple the Baels.
"What do I need to do?" I asked, and I hated how small my voice sounded.
Zekram was silent for a long time.
"You attack where it hurts," he said finally. "Not yet. He is in the limelight thanks to his achievements. But we know the origin of this miracle product, and if you can take that away from him, he will be open to other, more… final answers."
He took another sip of his drink and sighed contentedly.
"It has been a long time since I put away my evil pieces, but I believe I found the first worthy member for my peerage."
"Then?"
Zekram's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Patience, boy. I've been playing this game since our race first came to be. The Andromalius brat has had six months of sunshine. Let him enjoy it."
He moved toward the door, his steps echoing inside my chest.
"Doesn't your second boy have a green thumb? I believe it's time for Magdaran to help our family. He could do with a new friend, no?"
My eyes lit up despite the disgust that brewed at the mention of my son's disappointing hobby. "Understood, ancestor. I will let him know."
Zekram didn't turn around. "I will let you know when to make your move, boy. Don't disappoint me."
Kamar-Taj, Nepal.
Wong.
"Eight months."
I set another book on the shelf with more force than necessary. The leather binding protested, but it held. Unlike my patience.
"Only three short visits in all this time. Three days of Dante strutting through the sanctum as he owned it before disappearing again into whatever hellish dimension he dragged the wielder of the Light Force to after turning her into something inhuman."
The Ancient One sat on the balcony, her tea steaming in the morning air.
The cleansing ring glinted on her finger, the encrusted diamond catching the light in a way that would have been beautiful… if it didn't occasionally squirt a glob of shampoo at the worst possible moments.
"He gave you a phone to contact him, no?" the Ancient One huffed a laugh.
"Ah, yes. The answer to all our problems." I shelved another book. "Yes, he did. If only he responded to my messages."
"Wong."
"At least I don't have to run the café as I expected. If only it had stopped receiving more visitors, it would have been perfect. Do you know how many times I had to go there personally because a normal mortal grabbed a book that shouldn't be there? Four times, just last week. One almost ate a human's face, and you know what he did after I saved him? He went for it again… excitedly!"
"Wong."
I stopped, taking a deep breath and letting go of a book that had crumpled in my clenched hands.
"I worry," I admitted quietly. "He's a demon playing house on earth, and he's taken Tandy with him. She had such potential, only to put it under his control."
"She was never under us, and only in very few possible futures would she have joined our order," Yao said, sipping her tea. "Now she is under someone who will make her grow in a way we wouldn't have been capable of."
That was what bothered me the most.
She sparred against two of our most veteran sorcerers… and she held. She would have won if she had more experience. In half a year.
"She's become something else," I said.
"She's stronger than she should be at this point in time," Yao corrected. "And more importantly… she's happy where she is."
"Why do you trust him so much, Ancient One?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Because deep inside, he is fair, Wong. And that means that, unlike the rest of his kind, he can and will be an ally. I will ensure that."
I moved to the balcony and leaned against the railing. Below us, apprentices practiced in the courtyard.
"How is the ring?" I asked, changing the subject before I said something I'd regret.
I wasn't happy hearing why she needed such potent cleansing. But I understood why she had done so.
Yao looked at her hand. The cleansing ring pulsed faintly, and I could only hope it worked as intended. She didn't deserve eternal suffering at the hands of Dormammu. Not after selling her soul to protect earth.
She still pressed the diamond sometimes and cursed when shampoo came out. But she never took it off.
"It's working," she said simply. "Slowly, but it's working."
"Good." I nodded, still looking at the apprentices. "I wonder what he will do with the energy after it completely leaves your body."
Yao sighed, amused. "I think you already know the answer, dear Wong."
I barked a laugh and conceded she had a point. Because what else would he do but use it to increase his power? He was a demon, after all.
A calm silence fell over the room, one I enjoyed until Yao continued.
"Charles Xavier is still in a coma."
Another thing Dante had caused, not even meaning to.
"How long now?" I asked, even though I knew.
"A bit more than six months. His students have been managing, but the mental seals he placed in the girl…" Yao trailed off, looking east, toward New York. "Jean Grey's containment is degrading. It won't happen anytime soon, but the damage is done. I wonder how much the future will change because of that."
"Didn't you warn me that the Dark Phoenix was the worst thing that could happen to a timeline?" I asked. "Shouldn't you act, since things are going that way?"
Yao didn't answer immediately.
"Not yet. I want to see how it unfolds," she said instead. "Dante will return soon. I know that."
"How do you know? Did you see it in the Time Stone?"
A tiny grin grew on her face. "He responded to my message when I asked."
I groaned. That fucking bastard.
"Of course he did."
The Dimensional Gap.
Bikou, the Monkey King.
There were many things I was willing to do to get into fights. Dangerous, stupid things. Things that would make my ancestor laugh like an idiot before beating the shit out of me for being such a dumbass.
Joining a terrorist group under the first or second strongest being in the world was perhaps not the best idea, but… think of all the fights. Following the trail of the other first or second strongest being in the world was not something I did happily.
Not that I had much of a choice, to be honest.
Ophis didn't ask nicely, though. In fact, she didn't ask at all. She appeared in my room at three in the morning, stared at me with those dead, empty eyes until I woke up screaming, and then said five words.
"Find what the idiot Red is doing."
My balls hadn't descended from my throat for a full ten minutes.
"Could you... elaborate?" I managed, pulling my blanket up like it would protect me from an entity that could sneeze me into dust if she wasn't careful.
"Norway. He is in Norway."
"Norway," I repeated. "Great Red. In Norway. In the human world. Is the world ending already?"
"Yes."
Yes to what? Was the world ending already?
"Can you explain properly what he is doing?!"
Was I hyperventilating? Probably. I could only thank Buddha that the rest of the team wasn't seeing me like this.
"That is what you will find out."
I opened my mouth to ask another question, and Ophis tilted her head just a tiny bit. That was more than enough for me to shut up like the good boy I was.
There was no sign of her power. Even with all my knowledge of Senjutsu, I could feel nothing from the tiny apocalyptic dragon staring down at me. And yet, every cell in my body screamed that I was about to die.
"I felt it first a bit ago," she continued, as if she hadn't just shaved three years off my lifespan, or ten. "When I first felt his presence in the human world. He was with a devil."
"A devil?" That was new. Great Red didn't associate with anyone. In fact, I hadn't heard of a single being talking with him. Not even Gramps wanted to try his hand against him.
"Blonde hair, tall." Her expression didn't change. "He smelled weird."
"Weird how?" I asked, curiosity somehow winning over the terror.
"Wrong."
Helpful. Thank you, Ophis. You're the best.
"And you want me to go to Norway and watch what Great Red is doing?"
"You talk too much."
The change was instantaneous. Her face, which had held all the emotion of a stone for the entire conversation, twisted into something that could generously be called irritation.
I didn't even have time to apologize before reality folded around me and I was launched into the Dimensional Gap.
The silence was deafening. The void stretched in every direction, and for one long second, I thought she had left me there to rot thanks to my big mouth.
Then reality unfolded again, and I hit stone face-first.
"Ow."
I peeled myself off the ground and looked up. A small bar sat in front of me, the kind Gramps liked to visit when I was younger. A crooked sign I couldn't read hung above the door.
The aura hit me before I touched the handle.
The full, unbridled presence of the first, or second, most powerful being in existence, leaking through the walls of the mortal bar.
My hand froze on the door.
Every instinct I had, and I had good instincts, screamed at me to leave. To turn around, walk back into the Dimensional Gap, find Ophis, accept whatever punishment she dealt for failing, and maybe live another day.
But I was Bikou. Descendant of the great Sun Wukong and the current Monkey King. I didn't run from a fight. Not even from someone who made my knees buckle before I even saw him.
I opened the door.
A red-haired man sat at the bar, built like a mountain, covered in tattoos, drinking from a tankard that looked comically small in his hand. Around him, a handful of mortals drank and laughed, completely unaware that the thing next to them could erase the world in less time than I could finish my breakfast.
He was laughing at something. A big, booming, idiotic laugh that reminded me of Vali when we sparred shook the glasses on the shelf behind the bar.
Then his eyes slid to me.
Those yellow, slitted eyes that made every single hair on my body stand on end.
Then he went back to his drink.
That glance lasted less than a second. In that second, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes, evaluated every decision I had ever made, and reached a conclusion with perfect clarity.
Fuck this.
Fuck Ophis. Fuck the Khaos Brigade. Fuck Norway. Fuck whatever blond devil was hanging out with this monster on his own volition. And especially double fuck whoever decided that sending me was a good idea.
I closed the door quietly, turned around, and started walking.
Then I started jogging.
Then I was running at full speed through a Norwegian fishing village at three in the morning, and I didn't stop until I was two countries away.
My report to Ophis would be brief. He was just drinking with some mortals. That was all, and he should be left alone.
If she killed me for that, at least I'd die with my dignity intact.
Unlike my pants, which I was choosing not to think about.
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