Gaming Badly in DxD

[A curse has been rolled… 10 Pity has been granted.]

[One common rolled. 5 Pity has been granted.]

[Curse of the Desired (Minor Curse)]

There are sometimes, that people get awfully obsessed over someone, be it for love, hate, or anything in between, to the point that it may be all they’re thinking about for months on end.

You, for good or bad, are that someone.

Somewhere, a person in the world has now found you as their obsession and will go through great lengths and make plenty of sacrifices to get to you.

‘’Well, that just fucking sucks.’’ I scoffed. First time this thing gets implemented, and I already got a curse? Come on! ‘’Well… as long as it’s not, I don’t know, a damn Archangel trying to turn me into fish-kebab with a touch of spicy holy light, guess it’ll be okay… maybe.’’

Also, it was good to know that now Common rolls also get turned into pity. I already had many pens from the time my rolls landed on those little fuckers.

[Twin Draconids (Uncommon)]

A set of twin daggers with a somewhat ornate design. Originally forged using a Wyvern’s blood, they are very magic-conductive, going as far as to improve spells cast through them.

[Hidden Arrow (Uncommon)]

A bow with no arrow, or that’s what it looks like, at the least.

In reality, the arrows, be they physical or magical, that are shot from this bow become invisible and course through the air without sound.

[Saarthal Amulet (Uncommon)]

Originating from the Fatherland, this amulet provides a small boon for magicians.

When wearing this accessory, your magic consumption would be slightly reduced.

[High Spirit (Uncommon Perk)]

‘’Take a deep breath… and exhale. Feel the world around you, and through it, yourself.’’

Pushes your Spiritual potential and abundance slightly further.

I blinked as I felt my muscles relax for a moment. Curiosity piqued by the last Uncommon roll, I tried to push my Touki around. After a minute of concentration, it was flowing through my body… inefficiently.

‘That’s… better, I think?’ I punched the air, a gust of wind followed my blow, and moved the torn pieces of the dummies that littered the floor by a small margin. ‘Hm… Yes, better. Oh, by Spirit stat went up to [E-], too.’’

It wasn’t anything spectacular, but since the stat refused to grow by my hand, at the very least, I had a Perk push it into the next stage. Besides that, the weapons may have some use for me,

And I’m definitely keeping the amulet. Me grubby hands crave the magic item. Yes they do.

[Harmony in Words (Rare Perk)]

‘’For allies, I shall grant Abundance. For enemies, I shall grant Destruction.’’

Your voice is more than a tool for destruction; it is also capable of great miracles.

Be it singing, shouting, or just plain speaking. You are able to infuse your voice with intent, and that intent is what matters most.

Buffing allies, Debuffing enemies. You can do it, and also so much more.

‘’Fuck it, that’s it.’’ I groaned and pointed at the screen with an accusing finger. ‘’Voice, sound, or whatever school of magic related to it, it’s getting studied the fuck out of it.’’

Because seriously, with this? I have four abilities related to my voice. Yes, one of them is just singing really well, but the other three are just bullshit. You’re trying to tell me that I can use some sort of dragon language, buff allies, nerf enemies, all of that with absolutely zero cost because my dad (or mother) fucked a fish?

‘’I’m breaking this shit over my damn knee.’’ I decided, before turning to my last few pulls.

[Vial of Shifting Flesh (Epic Consumable)]

‘’Flesh is such a limiter…’’

Once consumed, this vial will allow your body to regenerate lost flesh more easily, and with each near-death experience, this effect is pushed further beyond. Without stopping, without a limit.

‘’Nope.’’ The moment the vial appeared in my hand, I shoved it into my inventory.

I have seen… way too many flesh monsters with hyper-regeneration in media, and I have no guarantee that my natural physiology and resistances won’t get overpowered by this thing.

[Unknown ID (Epic Consumable)]

‘’Go further beyond this world. Save or Destroy. Steal or Grant. That is your choice.’’

Generates a one-time jump ID Dungeon. Special events or circumstances out of this world, with Quests and Dangers that are equal to the tier of this item.

I stared at the purple amethyst that suddenly appeared in my hand with curiosity. ‘Beyond this world’? Wait…

‘’Does this thing make me jump worlds?’’ I gasped.

I was never given such an option inside my System. And, speaking frankly, I wasn’t all that eager to leave this world behind, especially without the guarantee that I could just bring all of the people I wanted with me. And even then, I wasn’t about to just tear my friends, lovers, and allies from their lives all willy-nilly.

Especially since I knew some of them had dreams that could only be granted inside this world.

Still, it was something to think about, since this little thing only granted me ‘temporal’ access to another world. Meaning that it was more of the ‘Get in, do a quest, and go back’.

Pulling it aside, I allowed myself a big, cheshire-like grin. If the new Gacha now follows the rules of the many I have played before. Then, that glow going from purple to gold meant…

[A Legendary Perk has been granted. Are you, perhaps, plowing a Goddess of Luck?]

[Integrating D̸̢̘̙̒̂͒̊̄͝ḯ̶̧͍͖͙͎̼̠̊̓̀͝v̵̧̺̹̣̦̱̣̐̆͌̈́̃̕͜͝í̶͕̦̱̻͜n̷͇̗̄͆̄̃͗̉͘͝i̴̖̅̉̀͛͜͠t̴̡̺́̑̑̏ÿ̵͈̯̘́́͊̚̕ into the body…]

My excitement was short-lived as the screen in the air started to glitch out. Then, a burst of intense, searing hot pain bloomed inside my chest.

I screamed, feeling as if something was getting torn out of my very soul.

Yet, instead of staying still, I pushed against it. Concentrating on my own mediocre knowledge of the soul, my magic, my demonic power. All of it to try and stabilize whatever was trying to destroy me from the inside out.

White sparks surrounded my body. The ground below my feet scorched black, my muscles bulged and tore themselves apart…

And everything faded to black.

[Congratulations on achieving Godhood, player.]

[Don’t grant them pulls for this. This is just absolutely bullshit as it is.]

[Understood.]

-X-x-X-

-Rias Gremory-

I slammed the door of the living room open. Thankfully, there was no one besides me in the Occult Research club, since Akeno had retired into that Shrine today.

I had heard experiences from either older devils or fellow Heirs. About the feeling of losing a member of your peerage, in more cases than not, due to death. It was like something slipping through your fingers, and no matter what you did, it would end up falling to the ground.

And now, it was happening to me, as I felt my second Rook slipping from my grasp.

I didn’t even care that I was in a fluffy, pink pajama. I immediately stepped foot into the magic circle and teleported directly into Zatren’s house.

And I was not alone, the moment I stepped into the manor, the circle flared once more, and my childhood friend and fellow King appeared, better in the clothed department, but just as desperate if her eyes were anything to go by.

‘’Rias…?’’ She whispered in before her eyes widened as I interrupted her.

‘’No time! The elevator! Zatren said that he was going to do some late-night training!’’ I shouted as both of us arrived at the doors of the elevator in a blink.

Stepping inside, I bit my thumb as I felt the ‘slipping’… stop. If only by a small margin. Like pinching something with the tips of your fingers ‘’You felt it too, right? Zatren…’’

The black-haired girl bit her lip and nodded, with her knuckles turning white from how hard she grabbed onto her skirt.

As the elevator went down, a sigh of relief escaped my mouth, and Sona got incredibly less anxious. Whatever had happened with Zatren, it seemed to have stabilized somewhat, or at least, I hoped it did, because I could still feel him in my grasp.

Even if it was… weird.

‘’What has that idiot done this time?’’ Sona almost snarled. Her eyes narrowed in fury, but as her friend, I could look right through it. She was worried, and so was I.

‘’Troublesome… isn’t he?’’ I chuckled nervously before offering an impish smile. ‘’But also very… dependable.’’

I haven’t really stopped to chat with Sona about Zatren. Sure, we shared him as a piece in our peerages, but for such a strange experience, we hadn’t shared much about it.

‘’Says you.’’ Sona scoffed with a pointed stare. ‘’Maybe by drooling all over him, you get special treatment, while I get most of the headaches.’’

‘’What?! I do not ‘drool’ over him, thank you very much!’’ The sudden upturn of the lips from the bespectacled girl told me she didn’t believe me one bit, so I decided to be just as petty. ‘’You know he’s interested in you too, right? I bet if you invited him for dinner…~ All alone in your home, he will—’’

I blinked as the elevator stopped, interrupting my words, only for a now blushing Sona to take the chance.

‘’Look! It’s open, so let’s just—‘’ Yet, as she stepped forward, she paused. ‘’What in the names of the Maous…?’’

The exasperation in my friend’s tone gave me a hint that our Rook may have done something dumb. Yet, as I looked around the training room…

Well, I didn’t expect this.

‘’Greetings, Kings of mine!’’ Zatren stood in the middle of the training room. His form had changed somehow. For some reason, I couldn’t look away from his face, which looked… beautiful? Somehow— No, wait. STOP DROOLING ALL OVER HIM, RIAS!

I blinked, and my eyes widened at the feeling inside the training basement/room. It was… holy?

Yes, but not only that, there was a certain feeling that I only got when one of my visits around Japan. If I remembered correctly, it was the same as… stepping into a Shrine, a proper place of worship.

‘Is that… divine energy?!’ It was, and it wasn’t just in the room, but also coming from… Zatren himself.

The man I called my lover had his arms open and was dressed in a white robe that looked entirely out of place with the hints of training clothing that he wore below it. Also, for some damn reason, I just couldn’t stop staring at his body and face.

‘’Do not fear, my dear allies. I remain the same, lovable, amazing me.’’ Yeah, he was definitely doing a bit. And just after scaring us half to death, too. ‘’Only that now, I have ascended into the realm of the DIVINE!’’

Sona stared at the approaching man. ‘’What?’’ She replied dumbly.

‘’What?’’ I mimicked, because whatever Zatren was uttering seemed like total stupidity.

‘’Get blessed!’’ He spoke, barely holding his chuckle as he got within arm's reach and… patted our heads. ‘’Pat, pat~’’

And all of a sudden, I felt my body fill with energy, as if I had the best night’s sleep of my life. Not only that, but my demonic power felt… purer? Better? More demonic? I couldn’t place the feeling. It was weird, but it was good weird?

And by how Sona’s gaze blanked entirely, she was experiencing the same.

Just like it came, the moment was over, and in its place, there was understanding.

We just received a blessing. From none other than Zatren himself, who had claimed that he somehow became a God over the course of the three hours from when I last saw him.

‘’What the fuck did you do…?’’ Sona was the first to speak, groaning while holding her head. In my personal opinion, she seemed like she wanted to crawl into bed, back where she was vacationing. ‘’You’re such a damn headache, Zatren…’’

I raised an eyebrow, slightly amused at the way my friend abandoned her strict and proper self to curse our Rook openly.

Zatren, was also amused, as he cackled manically while shouting. ‘’It worked! HAHAHA!’’

-X-x-X-

-Zatren Fumigami-

‘’Come onnn~ It was funny.’’ I chuckled while trying and failing to do a proper knot in this stuffy tie.

‘’Senpai, they thought you died. And you acted like a man possessed right after.’’ Koneko’s flat tone did nothing to impede my good mood. ‘’Are you done yet?’’

It was only a few days later, and with a checkup with an incredibly fascinated Ayuka, that my dear friends finally calmed down. It wasn’t s surprise, because apparently, a devil suddenly ascending to Godhood, no matter how… un-godly it was, was not a recurring thing.

Ayuka didn’t even know it was a thing to begin with. Since there has never been a case of a Divine being getting reincarnated into a devil, nor a devil achieving Divinity.

‘’I’m trying, but this damn tie is just a nuisance,’’ I grumbled, huffed, and utterly gave up with the damn thing.

‘’Dumb Senpai.’’

Koneko shook her head and stepped in front of me, grabbed me by the messily-knoten tie, and yanked down, putting me at eye level with the cat girl. Then, she untied whatever mess I had made around my neck and started tying the accessory properly.

I took my time to admire the form of my formally dressed girlfriend. With a midnight blue, one-piece dress that fit her form perfectly.

Or, it would, if my dear Nekoshou were not such a bottom-heavy shortstack of a beauty. To the point that I could see that beautiful piece of cake even from the front.

‘’Did I tell you that you look gorgeous in that dress?’’ I complimented her with a cheeky smile, making her cheeks turn rosy, and her ears twitch.

‘’Only a dozen times.’’ Koneko rolled her eyes before finally adjusting my black tie perfectly. She patted my shoulders and nodded with a satisfied hum. ‘’Looking good, Senpai.’’

As for myself, I was wearing a white dress shirt underneath a black, buttoned vest that I filled out pretty nicely. Also, some black suit pants that looked a bit too expensive. Just like the rest of the suit.

And, of course, the black tie that gave me a ‘casual yet formal’ look.

In my opinion, I just looked like a really fancy bartender.

Yet, I had to agree with Koneko somewhat. Because not only had Divinity erased most of my racial weaknesses away (Thank FUCK!), but I got an upgrade to looks that slightly surpassed that of devils.

Personally, I didn’t remember some Gods being particularly handsome (Looking at you, Hephaestus), but I wasn’t going to start complaining.

‘’You know. You’re awfully calm for someone who was recently told that their significant other became a God.’’ I fake-pouted because Mittelt had a much, much funnier reaction.

I’m talking, freaking out while questioning higher powers and reality itself, kind of thing.

‘’Hell, even Rias looked panicked, and… I haven’t told Aika, but that woman would probably turn this thing into an entire fetish of hers.’’

Slutty nun worshiping her God and offering her ‘purity’? That shit was right up her alley.

Koneko shivered, the mention of that succubus in disguise being more than enough to pierce through her flat expression.

Then, she shrugged, looking me up and down, even placing a hand on my chest before shrugging. ‘’Dumbass Senpai is still Schizo-Senpai—‘’ Why are you layering two different insults on top of each other?! ‘’—Besides, I can’t even pick up any holy energy from you… What is Senpai God of, even?’’

I felt awfully touched and insulted in equal measure by her words. Also, the fact that I wasn’t leaking holy, divine, or whatever energy the Deus around here used was only thanks to Jinzui and Ddraig. The former was a divine weapon by technicality, while the latter was a Heavenly Dragon.

And, since both resided inside my soul, and I was currently nothing more than the bottom-feed of a ’Divine’ in comparison, it was an easy enough task for them to restrain all that power inside my soul instead of it leaking like a faucet.

As for what kind of ‘God’, well…

[Divinity (Legendary Perk)]

‘’And then he said; Let there be Light.’’

Divinity, Godhood, or Ascension. Whatever name you wish to call it, it would probably be correct. With such power at your disposal, you have become a Deus yourself.

However, a God without a following is nothing more than a forgotten mote of holy power. Some gain power through fear, souls, or infinity itself. You, in particular, gain power through following, through camaraderie, and most importantly, Faith.

As for benefits, Gods are capable of a plethora of abilities. Ranging from being able to touch, modify, and even destroy souls, bless individuals of their liking, and even craft powerful artifacts related to their overall power.

Main Domain: [Abundance].

Minor Domains: [?] [?]

All Racial Weaknesses have been covered and nullified by your Divinity. And the only way to pierce through is a Divine being of greater power.

‘That is a lot of flavor text right there.’ Mostly because I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out how to properly use these new abilities without exuding holy power like a lava lamp. Which, if it wasn’t obvious, bothered my two girlfriends immensely.

‘’In short? Abundance.’’ I snorted. ‘’Ah yes, I’m the god of: A lot.’’

Koneko offered a grin and eagerly took the chance to mock me. ‘’Makes sense. Senpai is greedy. Especially with women.’’

‘’Hey!’’ I scoffed, pointing an offended finger at her. ‘’…True, but you don’t have to say it!’’

‘’Blessing two other women, one of which isn’t even in your harem, and not the mother of your children?’’ She raised an eyebrow, her tone flat.

‘’I told you I was trying to figure it out! I couldn’t replicate it like last time, okay?!’’ I defended with a pout. ‘’It acts weird!’’

‘’Cheater. Scum. No pull-out game fish.’’

‘’Ahhh… Konekoooo~’’ I whined, much to her silent amusement.

She won this round, but I’ll have my revenge, and it will be the most vengeful revenge that has ever avenged!

-X-x-X-

‘’Welcome, Heir and Servants of Gremory. Please make yourselves comfortable.’’ A brown-haired maid bowed politely while opening the door that led directly to the party within.

After dressing nicely and getting a basic rundown in ‘manners’—which I quickly forgot—our little group teleported directly to the Phenex territory. Or, well, one of the manors inside it. It was no surprise that these people had a great amount of land.

I saw how much those Phenex Tears cost, and let me say, they’re expensive as fuck.

Just by looking through the open door, we could see how ‘festive’ the room was.

There was a pleasant background music of what I assumed was a type of baltz. In the middle of the room, there was more than one pair of devils holding each other close and dancing to the rhythm of their partner.

And those who were not dancing? They were engaged in idle chatter with one another or scouting the room for whatever reason.

Yet, the moment we stepped in, all heads turned in our direction, and I saw more than a pair of eyes suddenly sparkle. Some with admiration, others with interest, and some with… disdain?

‘Ah, right.’ I blinked, glancing with amusement as Rias was swarmed by two other devil girls, who I assume are heirs themselves by the air they carry themselves with. That, and their somewhat high Demonic Power. ‘I did name my summon like one of the oldest Satan houses, right? Man, I bet some of those old geezers are malding right now.’

It would be a lot more entertaining to watch that than acting all posh and proper for this party, but oh well.

‘’Fashionably late, I see. I have done that myself once or twice.’’ A voice cuts through the chatter as a blonde man steps forward, dressed in an expensive red suit with an open vest. Yet, contrary to his tone, his face did not look as punchable as before. ‘’Greetings, Rias Gremory and her companions, I hope this past few days have been treating all of you well?’’

Immediately, the two unnamed heiresses who were chatting with Rias grew quiet and pushed themselves out of the way as none other than the host of this party himself approached with a friendly smile.

Closely behind him stayed a blonde girl with drill-like twintails, which I assumed was Ravel. However, she did not join in the conversation; instead, she seemed to be staring at her brother from afar.

‘’Riser.’’ Rias started with a neutral tone before offering a nod and, surprisingly enough, a tiny smile. Barely an upturn of her lips, but above and beyond what she would have offered Riser any other day of the week. ‘’Very well indeed. Thank you for the invitation.’’

The Phenex chuckled before waving away her words. ‘’Bah, we already have to do enough formalities as it is. Feel free to relax, for one such as I does not concern himself with politics in Riser’s own parties.’’ And that made me, Sachi, and Koneko sigh in relief.

Because fuck politics, that’s why.

‘’You don’t say? I would have never noticed.’’ Rias playfully jabbed, but her shoulders sagged minutely, thankful.

‘’Indeed.’’ He huffed.

With a nod—which Rias took as a good enough dismissal to step forward and through the room, probably in search of any known faces—Riser turned his head to the rest of us, specifically, to me.

I locked eyes with the third son of the Phenex. The last time I saw him was when I tore myself apart inside of my own domain to take the self-healing bastard down. And even then, all I got was for him to pass out instead of admitting defeat.

In the same manner, Riser was staring at me differently. Before the Rating Game, he looked oddly cautious and expectant, but right now? There was something else. He wasn’t staring only at a servant of Gremory, but an equal he went toe to toe with.

Well, since he said ‘fuck formality’ In the most formal way possible…

I raised a hand, getting a raised eyebrow from the blonde chicken and an amused smile. He did the same, and we struck our hands together in greeting.

‘’Good grip, spicy rooster.’’ I nodded with a chuckle, even as I heard some people gasp around me.

‘’Yours is not half-bad, above-average fish.’’ He replied in kind.

Oh, that was a good one. Even if Koneko has told me far worse.

We shared a smirk, even as two sets of groans interrupted the small moment. Turning my head, I stared at the deadpanning Koneko, and an exasperated Ravel, who was dressed in a frilly pink, long dress with white gloves that reached all the way to her elbow.

‘’Boys…’’ Ravel sighed with a tired glance, as if resigned, while Koneko just nodded along with her words. Somehow, both of them shared a glance and offered the other a pitying smile.

‘’Live a little, dear sister/Just let me live, woman!’’

I slowly turned my head to Riser, who did the same with a bemused expression… Before we broke into a chuckle, much to the groans of the two petite devils who had to watch over our interaction.

‘’Excuse me,’’ I blinked, turning my head as a woman interrupted our chatter. I released Riser’s grip and turned to see a stunning woman with short, black hair, pink eyes, and barely an inch above my own height. She was dressed in a black, one-piece dress that tied itself around her neck and left her shoulders exposed.

She carried herself with an air of dignity and composure, and the resemblance struck me just as she spoke. ‘’I am Sania Sitri, or Lady Sitri if you so prefer. Could I borrow Mr Zatren for a moment? Me and the Head of Gremory wanted to have a chat.’’

Riser simply waved the formality off with a polite smile as he broke off our little group. If Lady Sitri was bothered by the lack of formalities, then she hid it very well under that flat expression of hers. Not even a twitching eyebrow, unlike her daughter.

‘’Not a problem, ma’am.’’ Koneko shot me a worried look, which I waved off with a smile before giving the woman a nod.

‘’Excellent.’’ She clasped her hands, and her expression broke into the tiniest upturn of the lips I’ve ever seen. ‘’Please, follow me.’’

I gave a two-finger salute to my friends and followed the steps of the prim and proper woman. And, since I didn’t even know if she was married or not, I did my best not to look down. Even if just a glimpse told me where Sona gets her rear from.

Then, a sudden thought struck me.

‘Oh shit, I’m meeting the in-laws!’ Sona may not be a lover of mine (YET), but Rias certainly was. Yet, it was too late to check if my clothes or hair were proper and neat before we were in a more secluded part of the manor, away from the general noise of the party.

‘Ah, guess I’ll wing it!’ I always do, anyway.

So, slightly more relaxed than before, I just stepped through when Lady Sitri opened one of the doors that seemed to lead into a well-furnished meeting room.

-X-x-X-

-Venelana Gremory/Bael-

As far as first impressions went, I was not quite… surprised, with my daughter’s second Rook. After all, inside the Rating Game, the boy looked no better than an unmannered child. The only difference being, it was a child that had the guts to use such an old name as Leviathan in one of his attacks.

‘Must the younglings always try to be flashy?’ I wondered at the time, because I had my fair share of devils running around and naming their ‘super-powerful’ attacks before firing them.

I gave birth to both Sirzechs and Rias, after all.

So, I was mildly pleased that the black-haired man, who was awfully close to my daughter, was at least slightly different in person than when in the throes of battle.

‘’Lord Gremory. Lady Gremory. A pleasure to meet you at last.’’ With a winning smile, one Zatren Fumigami sat in front of me and my husband, even if he got slightly distracted by the softness of the couch he was sitting on, before nodding instead of bowing. ‘’I heard from Lady Sitri here that you wished to speak with me?’’

The aforementioned woman stood by the door, before closing it behind her and taking a seat on a separate couch that stood at equal distance from me and my husband, and the boy.

‘’Indeed, Mr Zatren.’’ My husband started with a tight expression and tone. If the boy had any reservations about being called directly by name, he didn’t show it. ‘’Just some idle chatter, you see. To get to know the young man that my daughter is so… fond of.’’

Yes, that was the main reason to call the young devil into such a secluded space. After the marriage contract was dissolved and made null, we tried to immediately talk to our daughter. Zeoticus was openly happy for our Rias’ victory, while I was mostly worried about her future.

And when I even went to bring it out, my daughter, as hot-headed as she was, spouted something… interesting.

‘’If I had to marry, I would much prefer a member of my peerage than any type of greedy, pompous suitor you wish to drop in my lap!’’ She said angrily.

For starters, Rias' point of marrying someone she truly loved was always something she insisted upon when the now ineffective marriage contract was brought up. Yet, this time it was different; she had mentioned preferring someone in her peerage.

I already knew that it couldn’t be the blonde Knight. If anything, the relationship between Mr Kiba and Rias was more akin to siblings than a proper courtship.

For a moment, I even thought she referred to her Queen, yet last I knew, Rias did not particularly swing that side.

That also took out of the way two of her newest peerage members. Leaving only the reckless, foul-mouthed, if powerful Rook of hers.

‘’Ah… that’s a bit embarrassing.’’ Zatren chuckled, scratching his cheek before shrugging his shoulders. ‘’I wasn’t actually prepared for a meeting with the in-laws so soon. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t know the proper ways of devil courtship yet.’’

And just like that, the young man had all but confirmed it.

‘’Is that right? Then, I assume that you would desire to court my daughter?’’ Zeoticus asked. His sky-blue eyes narrowed into a frown, tapping the stub of red hair on his chin with a closed knuckle. ‘’Tell me, Mr Zatren. Are you aware of how such a thing would be seen among our circle?’’

Because marrying a reincarnated devil, and even more so, a servant of your house, while completely allowed, was heavily discouraged. Not just because of some old bloodlines which centered heavily on purity, but because you won’t get any social standing or benefit out of marrying a servant, much less so one of your own house.

The words seemed to strike a chord within the man. His friendly expression dropped into an impassive one. His lips thinned and pressed together as he stared directly at both of us. If I had to say, a hint of the respect he had come in with has vanished into thin air.

Which he proved by his next words.

‘’No, and pardon my language, but I don’t particularly care.’’ He scoffed, shy of snarling, at one of the most economically rich heads of the Gremory house. ‘’I like Rias, and I believe she likes me too. If we are both happy, I don’t see how things like ‘society’ expectations are of any importance, after all…’’

His tone changed into one of amusement, and a grin spread across his face. ‘’I’ll just have to become strong enough for those dumbasses to turn their gaze to the floor, right?’’ Zatren chuckled, as if he found his words particularly funny.

‘’That’s… certainly a view on the matter, yes.’’ Zeoticus blinked, and I had to school my expression. It was long ago that I had seen my dear husband so shocked by the brazenness of the new generation. ‘’Then, you’re implying that you’ll just stand atop of whoever questions my daughter’s choice?’’

‘’Sure, I’ll win.’’ He stated with an uninterested gesture and a smirk, as if it were the obvious outcome. ‘’Now, if that was all, please excuse me…’’

Before another word could be said, the young man threw his ponytail behind his back and gave us a nod. Then, his gaze landed on Lady Sitri. Who, like me, had been silent up until this point.

The young man offered a bow and extended his hand with a charming smile. Somehow, it was like his overall attitude became… more appealing? It was hard to explain, and I got a feeling I’ve seen such a thing before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I raised an eyebrow as Sania put her palm on top of his.

‘’A pleasure meeting you, Lady Sitri.’’ My husband almost choked on air as he saw the gutsy youngling press a kiss to Sania’s knuckles, and in the woman’s shock, the young man offered a sly grin. ‘’I can certainly see where Serafall and Sona get their beauty from.’’

And just after name-dropping one of the Satans, with a spring to his step and completely nonchalant, Zatren Fumigami exited the door, and went back to the party outside.

…

‘’Pfff… HAHAHAHA!’’ And, of course, my husband could not hold his composure any longer before bursting with boisterous laughter. ‘’Now that is a gutsy kid! Not like all these brats with their promises and sweetened lies!’’

As my husband’s laughter filled the room, I turned to my friend, who was staring at the hand the young man had kissed with an unreadable expression.

That was, until a dreamy sigh escaped her mouth. Which made me break my own composure, giving the woman a surprised look.

‘’He reminds me of my late Tyzie. Daughters of mine, you better take your chance…’’ The Lady of the Sitri’s cheeks lit up slightly, while chuckling like a foolish schoolgirl. As if she didn’t have around a thousand years under her belt.

Which, of course, only made my husband laugh harder as his hand hit the armrest of the couch repeatedly.

‘What a dangerous young man.’ Apparently, he was a lot more than he showed, to have such confidence in his words. ‘Guess it’s just a matter of seeing if he is all talk or not.’

For now, I’ll say that the young man had my husband’s approval, but I’ll reserve my opinion for now.

-X-x-X-

-Zatren Fumigami-

‘’Well, that could have gone better.’’ I sighed while walking through the hall to get back to the party.

I cursed internally at the way I had lost my cool there. It’s just… so damn annoying. Talking about my relationship with Rias as if what mattered was what type of political connections or economic benefits it could bring. Miss me with all that bullshit.

…Could I have done that and not flirt with Sona’s mom? Of course, but it wouldn’t be as funny.

‘There was one thing I don’t regret saying, however.’ With a smile full of mirth, I sidestepped a hurried maid while taking a glass of whatever beverage she had been offering the guests. ‘I’ll get powerful enough so all that crap doesn’t matter.’

So, in short, I’ll win.

‘’Heir Diodora, I believe Sona and I have made it very clear about our opinion in exchanging our Rook, even if you offered both of yours, we still decline your kind offer.’’ I could hear Rias’s cutting tone a few meters away, but…

‘Diodora?’ Now that was a name I recognized. The bastard that tortured nuns, broke them mentally and physically, and then reincarnated them into his peerage for his amusement. ‘I’ll probably need like two more glasses of this.’

As I got close, I heard the obnoxiously posh and fake tone from the man himself. And I raised the glass to my lips. ‘’I very much understand, Rias. However… would you perhaps consider exchanging Bishops, then? I promise, she wouldn’t disappoint.‘’

…

‘Oh, this is going to get good.’

I downed the glass in my hand and stored it inside my inventory before barging into the conversation with all the tact and politeness of a sledgehammer against a watermelon.

‘’Excuse me, Diodora-sama?’’ I made sure to be nice and loud. Enough for the surrounding partying devils to turn to look at us. ‘’I couldn’t help but hear that you are interested in exchanging pieces with my King here?’’

Even if my tone was polite, I made sure it was filled with as much animosity as I could muster. Rias looked at me with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow, but I ignored it for now.

Instead, I stared directly at the black-haired devil, whose expression remained just as gentle and amicable as before. His eyes were incredibly squinted, to the point I wondered if he could even see like that. But, apparently, that didn’t bother him at all.

‘’You would be correct, Zatren-san, I believe?’’ I didn’t buy the fact that he didn’t know my name if he was so insistent in trading both his Rooks for me. Yet, I nodded all the same. Because it would be a cold day in hell before I bowed my head to this bastard. ‘’Are you, perhaps, interested in such a deal?’’

‘In your dreams.’ I resisted the urge to scoff when I noticed his hopeful tone. Yet, I took the excuse. Why? To blow off some steam, of course. ‘’Hmm… Well, you see, I don’t know…’’

‘’After all, I couldn’t possibly be the servant of someone who stood weaker than me, could I?’’ I clasped my hands with an ample smile.

Now that? That caused even the music to stop. And I was pretty sure that the entire dance floor was listening to our conversation, if the whispers and Rias' burning stare were anything to go by.

Right, I didn’t tell her, did I? About Diodora being the reason that Asia was excommunicated. Though maybe it was for the best. At the time, it wasn’t like my Observe could get so many ample details like the identity of a Devil that Asia didn’t even know the name of.

‘’…I beg your pardon?’’ Ohh, now that seemed to get under his skin, if the thinning of his lips was anything to go by.

‘’Of course, you see. To be able to be my King, you should at the very least be stronger than at least one of my Kings, no?’’ I stared him up and down, and my polite act was certainly starting to slip by. ‘’I do not believe you met the… qualification.’’

Now they were definitely whispering. Also, the two-line-eyed bastard’s knuckles were starting to shake a bit~

‘’But of course, there is a solution for this!’’ Now, my words gave the room pause. I even extended my arms dramatically, as if I were offering an olive branch. ‘’If you could defeat me, then I believe you would be a good King to follow, do you see?’’

He didn’t seem entirely convinced by my words, and now I was sure that practically the whole room was listening in. So, it was time to throw the bait.

‘’That could also mean that any member of my dear King’s peerage that finds her… lacking—‘’ I even winced while saying those words. Sorry Rias, but I really wanted to cave this bastard’s face in! ‘’—Would be more… willing to get exchanged to your side, no?’’

‘’But if your strength was weaker than that of a fellow heir’s servant… Well, that would be more than enough for you to understand your… position, yes?’’

I think most of the people close by could tell that I was lying through my teeth. Especially Rias, who now held a curious look in her eyes.

I sent her a discreet wink, which only seemed to make her more confused. That was, until I mouthed the word: Asia to her. Her eyes widened minutely, before she schooled her expression.

Silence choked the air like a drunk father would to his step-son.

Which only broke when Diodora glanced at Rias. ‘’Does your Rook speak for you, Lady Rias?’’ If he were a better actor, he could have hidden that edge of annoyance in his voice.

At that, my King didn’t even flinch.

‘’He does,’’ Rias replied simply while crossing her arms. And I swear I’ll make this up to her somehow.

I think there was an anime convention somewhere next week?

‘’I see that my party has soured somewhat.’’ The voice was tinted with a hint of sadness. It was none other than Riser who stepped from the crowd while holding his chin. ‘’I believe there was something about… ‘no confrontations’ somewhere in the invitation…’’

And, for some reason, instead of staring at me, Riser’s eyes landed directly on Diodora, and his eyes narrowed, like he was staring at a particularly interesting bug.

I didn’t know why Riser was being a total bro about this, but I wasn’t going to miss this chance.

‘’My apologies, Riser.’’ I didn’t miss how Diodora didn’t use any honorific with Riser, unlike with Rias. Bastard probably believed he was above them when speaking to a ‘third son’.

‘’No need. I believe this can be easily solved.’’ Riser offered, his frown turning into a smile as he turned to speak to the crowd. ‘’Such a matter cannot go unresolved, after all! Then, how about a friendly spar, to calm down and resolve the matter entirely?’’

If Riser knew how to do something, it was definitely catching the attention of a crowd. The devils, be they Heirs, Head houses, or servants, all broke into whispers. Some were cursing me, while others were giving shit to Diodora.

And that amused me greatly.

‘’Yes, what a great idea, Lord Riser!’’ I applauded, before faking an expression of realization. ‘’But I believe just Diodoria here won’t be… enough. So, I propose he also fights with those two Rooks of his, the ones he planned to trade to my Kings.’’

Now that made the Diodora mad. I bet he was oh so close to being frothing at the mouth.

So much so that I saw his eyes open properly, revealing golden orbs that were filled to the brim with disdain. His hand clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white, and that fake smile of his dropped entirely.

And that also got the crowd roaring. Because, of course, a servant not only bad-mouthing his supposed ‘’betters’’, while calling him weak, and even stating that he would need to make this fight a three against one so it was fair was bound to be disrespectful as fuck.

Even Riser was shocked at my words. Yet, he recovered quickly, turning his head to Diodora with a raised eyebrow. ‘’Well then, Heir of Astaroth. Do you agree with these terms?’’

The room fell to silence, and my smile got twice as wide when Diodora replied. ‘’I do.’’ And even in two words, I could feel the sheer vitriol in his tone.

‘’Very well then!’’ Riser clapped and opened his arms with a big smile, and then proceeded to gesture outside the manor. ‘’Then, let us take this outside. No need to make a mess inside a place meant for entertainment!’’

‘’I, Riser, host of this party and proud member of the Phenex House, will act as the jury of the duel between the Rook of Gremory, Zatren Fumigami, and the Heir of Astaroth, accompanied by his two Rooks!’’

Yep, I was pretty sure I was cackling like a lunatic now, much to my King’s concerned expression.