Author's note: First of the seeds blooming! And a genuinely good ally. Hopefully it all goes as planned...
Heh.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 11: The First Deal.
Dante Andromalius.
Sitri territory outskirts.
One week later.
I weaved between the lunges of some feline-type beasts who attacked me while the hellhounds looked from a fair distance away.
They wanted the other beasts to soften me up. Hilariously enough, they didn't dare approach after I gutted one of their kind without any of them realizing.
It was a shame there were no more apes in this part of the forest… I got too excited after the party.
The hellhounds were apex predators around this part, but they trusted their senses too much... something I made sure to exploit.
Maybe I should thank Red for this gift.
After almost two weeks of having it, I realized something important.
Devils improved fast. Scarily fast. I couldn't help but wonder how they'd do in my old universe.
If they managed to survive without offending someone, of course. Odin would have probably returned to his warring self if they had appeared there. Racist fuck.
It wasn't only my trait that was improving. It was my everything. The more I trained, the more I put my life on the line. As exaggerated as that thought was, my strength and magic kept rising.
Not absurdly, but it wasn't slowing down. At least for now.
And I was actually having fun. I had always been strong; power always came to me without effort. That was part of who I was. But this growth made every ounce of power feel far more meaningful.
I ducked under the demonic lynx's claws, grinning as my magical circle appeared on the ground. The earth beneath us surged upward, forming a spear that impaled the lynx's stomach.
The beast grunted before I grabbed it by its neck and consumed its essence.
I hadn't been slacking off; despite many of the seeds I planted during Sona Sitri's birthday dinner, none of them had sprouted into something worth it.
Social media was new for someone as old as Seere. I got some friend requests and messages about the chess sets, but I ignored them.
And I wasn't about to open a business. I wasn't a merchant. Some extra money would help a lot, but that wasn't my priority right now.
Of course, I wasn't expecting to hear from Serafall Leviathan this soon. No, for a fish that big, I had to make enough waves.
Or I could seduce the bespectacled girl… but I wasn't about to do something that inefficient.
She was cute, and her intelligence shone despite her obvious flaws, but real seduction took time, and I didn't have time to waste.
Sona was important enough that seducing her for something fickle would only complicate matters. Making a deal was faster. And far less risky. Especially when I wasn't smitten by her.
She and Sairaorg did send me a friend request, but that was it. Rias did send me a message a couple of days later. Nothing particularly interesting; just the adorable attempt to learn some information about me, and whether I was really offering an answer to her problem.
My vague answers left her with more questions, which was funny as hell. Every day, I saw her curiosity grow. I wasn't surprised. She didn't seem to understand the meaning of patience.
Obviously, I pushed her towards the brink without regret.
We both would end up winning, and there was nothing wrong with nudging her in the right direction. That's why I hadn't responded for four days.
I knew how to help her. First, I read the laws of this race. I quickly found a simple way for her to free herself from her marriage contract. It was a rating game.
I couldn't fix her problem outright yet, but after hunting, I had enough fuel to tip the scales in her favor in a significant way. She just needed to win, and I could absolutely help her do it.
Dropping the dried husk of the beast, I moved my head to avoid another's claws.
The last of the lynxes hissed at me with hate in its eyes.
Feeling my phone vibrate in my pants, I huffed before a grin grew on my face.
Jackpot.
The only two people who knew my number knew I didn't want to be bothered if it wasn't important. And there was only one thing that could be important enough for any of them to call me.
Locking eyes with the hissing feline, I grabbed my phone.
"Mother," I greeted her warmly, "Did something happen?"
My clan trait activated, and I laughed loudly as the lynx began looking around in confusion and pure, unadulterated panic.
I walked towards the beast at a sedated pace.
"You need to come back, son," she sounded a bit clipped, and I grinned, "you have visitors. Run, Dante. She's not one you can leave waiting for long."
"Sona or Rias?" I asked amusedly, "Someone arrived before I expected to."
"You will explain later how you managed this, sweety," she hissed lowly, "Lady Gremory is here. Along with her Queen and someone I don't like in my house."
I frowned as I dropped the corpse of the last lynx, seeing it disappear into ash before I locked eyes with the retreating hounds.
Not on my watch.
My wings flapped behind me as I launched myself through the air in the direction of the dogs.
"What do you mean, mother?" I asked Celestine. I had never heard something like that in her voice. It wasn't hatred; I was familiar enough to recognize that feeling. No, it sounded more like… resentment? But it didn't feel like it was against this devil; it was just the situation in general.
How strange.
"The maid is keeping an eye on your friend," she sighed, making me frown deeper, "She… I don't want her here, Dante. Can you please return before your father comes home? I doubt he'd feel much better than me."
Narrowing my eyes, I nodded. It sounded bad.
"Give me five minutes, Mom," I said quietly, "and sorry. I didn't want to cause whatever this is."
"Don't worry, baby," she murmured, her smile almost audible through the phone. "As long as you know what you are doing, we worry for you, Dante."
I didn't know what to answer, so I just hung up the phone and tucked it inside my shorts.
Well, I needed to hurry. I didn't want Mother to suffer more than she had to. Even after all my changes, she made sure I felt loved every waking moment, and I couldn't ignore that.
It was surprisingly endearing, even if sometimes I didn't know how to reciprocate those feelings.
Focusing inwards, my magic rumbled inside my body. A significant increase compared to what it used to be. Enough to finally deserve the mid-class label I was given by the government thanks to my trait. Maybe even higher.
With my eyes closed, I locked into the life energies running like their lives depended on it. Multiple magic circles appeared behind me as water was molded into tiny pricks, then they froze.
A bigger magic circle appeared in front of me, and as the pinpricks of ice passed through it, they accelerated enough to visibly cut through the air.
Then I tried a new trick and turned my focus on the needles. I enveloped them with my clan trait, and the needles glowed with an ethereal hue. The pockets of air they had created retreated as if they weren't there. The wind simply forgot they existed, and the drag no longer affected them.
The hounds barked in alarm. Even from a distance, I saw their postures relax, thinking they were out of danger. Then, without a single yelp, the needles were buried exactly in their brains.
What a wonderful trait Red had given me.
Consuming the beasts, I grinned to myself. Well, I had done my part; now I only needed Lucifer's little sister to fall into my hands.
Later
Dante Andromalius.
Stepping through the backyard, the teleportation spell snuffed out of the room like usual.
I felt two pairs of 'eyes' locking in my form from the inside.
Even without looking around, I hid my frown at the sheer tension that permeated the room.
Celestine stood near the kitchen island; her arms folded loosely in front of her. She was acting as if everything were alright.
I saw through her act. And I didn't like it.
Walking up behind her, I pressed a quick kiss to Celestine's cheek and rubbed her back in a comforting gesture, just like she used to do in my memories.
She let out a soft breath, her tension easing as she all but melted into my chest.
"Sorry for taking so long," I murmured, "let me deal with this."
She gave me a dry look before she nodded, but she wasn't blaming me for this situation. I didn't expect Rias to bring a bodyguard, especially one who appeared to have some history with Mother.
Not that I faulted her. She didn't look like someone to push me like this.
The three pairs of eyes glanced in our direction. Two of the faces smiled sweetly, while the third remained neutral, its expression almost blank.
Rias sat on the couch, her arms on her lap as she smiled at me with bright, hopeful eyes. She looked exactly like I remembered from the party, if a bit less formal.
Despite her act, desperation radiated from her.
Next to her, her queen watched with a cute, polite smile and crossed legs.
She was a beauty. There was no other way to say it, but there was something fake in her act.
Either way. It was easy to see why this race was considered sinful. Every woman I had met since awakening my memories matched Mephy's looks. And almost every mortal I had met.
But the one who made Mom feel this way was the silver-haired woman in a maid uniform. The strongest queen, and the wife of the current Lucifer.
Interesting.
And upsetting. She was old. Old and experienced enough to complicate matters. It also meant the rumors were true: Lucifer pampered his sister just as the Leviathan did.
I needed her gone.
I swallowed nervously as I locked eyes with Rias and walked towards the living room.
The moment I stepped into the room, I put on a mask. My shoulders hunched slightly as my steps fumbled. I avoided Grayfia's gaze like it burned me, and an embarrassed blush rose on my cheeks all the way to my ears.
"L-Lady Gremory," I bowed a little too quickly, dropping her hand as I clumsily tried to kiss her knuckles, "I… I didn't expect…"
My foot tumbled thanks to the edge of the rug, barely catching myself before I hit the floor.
Heh. I still had it.
Celestine stared at me as if she didn't recognize me, then quickly caught on and hid her reaction to keep up the act.
Rias giggled after a moment as her Queen snorted, the redhead waved her hands almost in alarm.
"Please, you don't have to be so formal, Dante," she said warmly, "And you can call me Rias, remember?"
I ducked my head, nodded, and avoided locking eyes with anyone.
"He's cuter than you said, Rias," Akeno Himejima giggled darkly, but not unkindly.
Her expressions now seemed much more natural.
Grayfia stayed silent as she observed.
She had already classified me as a non-threat.
I would obviously win against these two, but she just needed to believe the contrary.
Then Grayfia's eyes drifted to the house.
And for just a fraction of a second, her expression changed.
Not disdain, but regret. Pity. Then it cooled down.
Something to ask Mother.
"Grayfia," Rias said gently, but firmly, "Would you mind returning to Lord Sitri's castle? I think Dante would be more comfortable speaking freely. We'll teleport to Sona afterward."
The maid's eyes returned to me, and she nodded.
"Of course, Lady Rias," she said smoothly.
Her voice was as cold as her expression. "Remember that you have dinner with your family planned. Keep an eye on the time."
And she was gone.
As soon as she disappeared, I saw my mother's shoulders relaxing. I wondered what this was about.
Rias smiled warmly at me, but I just straightened.
My posture returned to the usual, my skin turned to its normal pale. When I spoke again, my voice was steady, if a touch amused.
"Mother," I said calmly, "could you prepare some tea for us? We'll be in the backyard."
Her surprised, knowing smile brought a soft laugh from me.
"Of course, little Dante. Have fun."
Rias stared at me, her smile gone, as a confused expression turned sharper.
Akeno's smile vanished completely, and I saw her hand clenching around nothing.
"You…" Rias frowned, "What was that?"
She rose from her seat. The warmth from moments ago vanished, replaced by something guarded. Thankfully, not anger. At least not yet.
"That was all an act," she said quietly.
Akeno, for her part, didn't move. But I felt the way her demonic power bubbled beneath her skin.
I met her gaze without flinching. A calm smile on my lips.
"Indeed."
She clenched her jaw, "So everything at the party was fake, too?"
I shook my head calmly, "Something can be an act while it stays truthful, Rias."
"Don't call me Rias!" she hissed, her eyes trembling something fierce.
"You lied to me!" she continued, "You danced with me, you listened as I opened up to you! You let me think you understood what I was going through!"
"And I told you, it wasn't fake," I sighed, "I do understand. I truly do."
"Then why did you deceive me?!" she was almost crying now, equal parts embarrassment and anger.
She looked exhausted.
"Did you not need that moment?" I asked softly as I stepped closer to her.
"If I had approached as I am now," I continued, "would you have given me the time of your day? Would you have trusted me?"
She didn't reply.
"You would just see me as another devil, someone trying to use you to elevate himself. And you would have been right to dismiss me."
The Queen glanced between us as she rubbed Rias's back, her eyes focused on me.
I kept enough distance from her so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed.
"Aren't you doing just that?" Rias asked bitterly.
"Maybe I am," I nodded, being honest. "But there's a difference between them and me."
"What's that?" Akeno asked when Rias didn't reply.
"I truly have a way to help Rias," I smiled, "A real way. But if you are not interested…?"
I gestured towards the door.
"You are free to leave."
It felt like minutes, but she finally nodded and followed me towards the small backyard.
"I owe you an explanation," I sighed, "And an apology, I suppose."
She lifted her eyebrow.
"Your maid was making my mother uncomfortable." I looked at her, and she surprised me by turning apologetic.
As I suspected, she hadn't realized what happened.
"No idea why, but mother has suffered enough in this life. I will do anything it takes to make her happy," I said seriously. "Apart from that, this way our conversation stays between us. Your brother won't know what you are planning, as it should be."
"And the party?" Rias asked, "The dance?"
"You looked like you needed it," I replied softly as we sat. "You were about to strike your fiancé in public, Rias. You spent most of your time alone, seeming almost miserable. I acted so you could feel safe enough to be honest with yourself."
"You're unbelievable. And an asshole." She exhaled softly.
"Maybe," I shrugged, "But you can't say you didn't feel better afterwards. It worked, no?"
Akeno tried and failed to hide a snort.
Rias's eyebrow twitched, but even she couldn't continue acting angry.
Bomb defused.
"Sona mentioned you threw the match," she spoke after a moment of hesitation.
"Was she annoyed?" I chuckled.
"She was furious," Rias corrected me, and I laughed loudly.
"She's good, don't get me wrong," I waved my hand. "But you probably saved my life with your words. I wondered why the Leviathan was glaring at me like I killed her puppy."
Akeno burst out laughing, and even Rias grinned despite trying to hide it.
"Why did you do it? I doubt Lady Serafall would have killed you. You would have gained a lot by beating Sona, if not her hand in marriage." Rias bit down on her bottom lip.
Was that jealousy I smelled? How precious.
"Because I dislike arranged marriages," I shook my head, "When I marry, it will be someone I choose. Someone I love. Everyone deserves that much."
I looked at her and didn't smile. I lied as easy as breathing.
"I imagine you feel the same."
Her face changed emotions way too fast, and I knew she knew what I was doing. But she couldn't say I was wrong.
She knew I was saying what she wanted to hear, but it was the truth, and it worked to ease her anger.
Mother brought the tea in silence and retreated without a word. But Rias surprised me by apologizing to my mother. Celestine just smiled softly.
"Tell me how to get out of my contract." Rias finally said after a minute.
"A Rating Game."
Rias's expression turned cold, "Akeno, we're leaving."
"Not interested in a way to cut through Riser's regeneration?" I laughed when she reached the door of the backyard, enjoying how her whole body stiffened.
Not only her. Akeno also stopped cold.
It was almost robotic the way both of them turned to me.
One in curiosity and the other with unrestrained hope.
She was so easy. She was lucky I wasn't like when I was just born.
"I take it you are interested, then?" My lips quirked.
Rias just nodded as she almost skipped to the seat.
"Wait for me here. I… I need to do something." I said seriously as I returned inside, walking directly to my room. "Oh, and don't ask things you know I won't explain."
I felt three pairs of eyes during my whole walk.
Later.
The hidden room felt bigger than it was. My mind felt foggy, my legs wobbled, and I fell to my knees.
This was pathetic.
Creating a conceptual dagger that blocked one's connection with their demonic power took most of the energy I had saved after a whole week of hunting demonic beasts.
My expression in the mirror was a pathetic sight. My blond hair was matted with sweat; my clothes were stuck to my skin. It was moments like this that fueled my anger to grow stronger. I had never felt this weak in my life.
At least, the more energy I got in this life, the faster it naturally regenerated. It wouldn't take that long to get what I just used. It was like a muscle.
It was a stark reminder of what I had lost. What Mephisto took from me.
I would make him grovel at my feet. One day. But I needed this to improve.
The dagger looked unsuspicious; it looked like its edge was blunted, and it wouldn't even cut flesh. But it was supposed to look unassuming.
To make Riser Phenex drop his guard against such antiques. It didn't have any kind of aura; I had focused hard on making it as simple as I could. It looked like it deserved to be in a museum instead of a weapon that would stop even one of the biggest, most coveted traits in the underworld from working.
It should be more than enough for these cheap replicas. From what I had seen in his and his family's rating games, they relied on their demonic power to regenerate.
If they lost control of it, or it was blocked. They would bleed and die like any other.
I couldn't create an anti-regen weapon as I would have preferred. Such things, even if they only worked against low-level beings, were much, much more costly.
But this was enough. It depended on Rias after all. She would never forgive herself if someone else saved her.
After cleaning myself and putting on a new set of clothes, I returned to the living room to find Rias, Akeno, and Celestine grinning as she showed my baby photos.
How degrading.
Even if I was adorable as a baby. It was much better than the gnat I originally was before I created my humanoid form eons ago, at least.
"Did you have to do this?" I sighed as my cooing mother showed a picture of her bathing me.
Rias and Akeno didn't bother to hide their giggles as I glared mock-angrily at my mother.
The smirk that grew on her face was demonic to the extreme.
But she closed the book despite the two devils' protests and walked away. Not without kissing my brow and patting my head as if I were some kind of child.
Rias stared at the dagger as soon as I brought it out of its sheath.
"What is that?"
"The answer to all your problems, my dear Rias," I said, my voice silky smooth, "Any Phenex you cut won't heal properly. In fact, any magical being you cut will be an easier fight. It will block, momentarily, mind you, their magic."
Their eyes widened before Akeno's turned dubious.
Smirking at her, I created a magical circle as a small flame appeared on the tip of my finger.
Grabbing the dagger, I barely touched my skin as blood began flowing.
And the magical circle stuttered.
"Want to give it a try?" I chuckled.
Rias grabbed the dagger like her very future depended on it, but before she could cut herself, Akeno stole it from her hands.
"Rias, don't be dumb. Let me do it," she scolded her king, and I was gifted a sight of a blushing Rias.
She looked at Akeno with gratefulness in her eyes.
Cute.
Akeno's hands were filled with lightning, and I noticed something weird about her magic.
She was sandbagging. Focusing on her, I felt like there was something genuinely dangerous inside her. But she wasn't using it.
Holy energy in a devil? How peculiar.
She made a cut in her arm, a tiny thing she could hide with her sweater, and the spell frizzled.
She gave a dumbfounded nod.
"What do you want in return?" Rias asked seriously. Her whole body trembled before she controlled herself.
"Two things," I lifted two fingers, "First, political backing. I want you to support me when I need you to. Nothing that compromises you, of course."
She bit her lip and shared a look with Akeno.
Her queen shrugged after a moment.
"And second?" She turned her head.
"I need you to wait. Wait as long as you can. Train until you can look at yourself and know you didn't need this," I tapped the dagger lightly. "Use it only if you must. I know you can beat him."
The adorable blush that grew on her face almost made me smirk in victory, but I kept a soft, genuine smile.
And people thought the art of manipulation was hard.
"Deal," she squeaked as her Queen expression turned teasing.
Something pressed between us. My old nature bleeding through and making sure that we both would fulfill our deal.
"Thank you, my fair Lady," I kissed her knuckles before doing the same with Akeno.
"It was a pleasure to see both of you," I added.
I had never heard someone titter an 'ufufufu' in my eons of memories, but it sent a shiver down my spine.
She was fun.
As they prepared to leave, I added one last request.
"If you'd do me a favor," I opened the door, "can I walk you through the city before you teleport to the castle? I'd like for people to see me with you."
Rias raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly, "Calculating… I like it, Dante."
"I have to be," I laughed as I connected my arms with theirs, "I don't have the luxury of being a noble. But I'll get there."
She didn't argue, even going as far as pressing her body against mine. Akeno grinned as she imitated her King.
When I returned home, I walked towards the darkness of my room. I didn't bother turning on the lights.
And when I looked at my reflection, I realized that the mask had slipped.
My smile was wrong. Too wide to look natural.
The laugh that left me didn't belong to anyone pretending to be mortal.
I held the reflection for a heartbeat too long.
Then I smoothed my expression, and Dante returned.
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