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The Gamer's Guide to Freedom by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Anime X-overs & High School DxD/ハイスクールD×D Xover Rated: M, English, Supernatural & Fantasy, Words: 191k+, Favs: 5k+, Follows: 5k+, Published: Aug 19, 2020 Updated: Oct 2, 2021
2,363Chapter 5: Maid to Serve
Disclaimer: I own nothing
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The Gamers Guide to Freedom
Chapter 05: Maid to Serve
- Grayfia -
She had made an unfortunate error in judgement.
It wasn't that she had forgotten her manners, quite the opposite... it was simply that she was entirely too used to coming and going as she pleased. She was the strongest Queen, the wife of Lucifer, and there were very few she had to truly act the part of the servant around.
Even the Lord and Lady Gremory, her father and mother in law, would not call her out on her habit of moving freely through their lands, despite not technically being a member of the Gremory family.
As the Satan Lucifer, Sirzechs had given up his position in the Gremory family, and while their son was a member of the Gremory family after countless meetings and arguments when her pregnancy was first announced, it didn't change the fact that Sirzechs was no longer a Gremory, and by extension, neither was she.
Power was everything in the Underworld, and the only devils willing to truly challenge her were the Satans themselves. She had grown used to being above reproach, and despite her chosen 'profession' and uniform, she enjoyed the power that came with her position.
"So, why is this bitch barging into Dantalion lands like she owns the place?" the spectral form of an unfortunately familiar face asked, floating around the new Lord Dantalion with a smirk on his transparent face.
Hiding her scowl, her mind raced as she stared at the unmistakable face of the long dead Izan Dantalion. She was old, old enough to remember the Great War, even if she had been too young to truly take part in the worst of the fighting...
"I am Grayfia Lucifuge, Queen of the Great Satan Lucifer, and I have-"
"Wait, Lucifer declared himself King of the Devils? When the fuck did that happen? Also, what happened to Lilith? Pretty sure she'll have a few things to say about Luci making one of his old maids into the Queen instead of her." Izan interrupted again as she clenched her fists, glowering at him. "What, you thought I wouldn't remember you? You were a teen last time I saw you but I never forget a body like yours."
There were very few who would dare challenge her, but she couldn't say she was surprised that the infamous lunatic Izan was one of them.
"Different Lucifer, Grandfather. The original Satan's were slain during the Great War. It's a title now." Kuro Dantalion corrected making Izan pause. "Also we don't have a King, but I'll explain that later. The Queen is basically... the head servant I guess?"
"Luci died, seriously? Wait... is Levi dead?!" Izan asked after a moment, a flicker of hurt passing his face. "Fuck, looks like I missed a lot... so, who is Lord Lucifer now? It's not that whiny brat Rizevim is it?"
"No, Sirzechs Lucifer took the position after the civil war, though he was formerly Sirzechs Gremory." Kuro explained with a sigh, even as she stared at them, trying to work out what she was seeing.
There was no afterlife for Devils, that was a simple truth she and every other devil had known for thousands of years... and yet what she was seeing was no illusion, she remembered Izan Dantalion well enough, and he died hundreds of years before Kuro would have even been born.
Her musing were cut off as Izan burst out laughing, cackling to himself.
"A fucking Gremory is using Lucifer's name? Fucking seriously?! Oh, that's just perfect. Talk about adding insult to injury. One of those fucking pushovers calling themselves Lucifer? Oh Maou, I can feel Luci's rage from here."
"If you would please be silent a moment." Grayfia finally snapped, her pride unwilling to allow her to be ignored any longer. "I have a message from Lord Lucifer... one of the four rulers of Devil-kind."
"No, you be silent, servant." Izan countered, his amusement fading as he glared at her. "You seem to be forgetting the situation, you're a servant who just trespassed in the lands of a Lord, intruding in an important ritual. You trying to steal Dantalion secrets, bitch?" Izan accused, making Kuro glance at him curiously.
Izan knew exactly what he was doing, and crazy or not Izan was no fool. By accusing her of trying to steal their family secrets, he had made this a far bigger problem than simply trespassing as he smirked at her.
"...I apologise for my trespass but I must insist you stop calling me that." Grayfia ground out, the constant disrespect damaging her pride in ways it hadn't been touched in centuries.
"Or what, Bitch? I don't care if you're this new discount Lucifer's favourite cock-sleeve, you're still just a servant barging into a Lord's estate like she owns the place." Izan scoffed as her icy stare locked onto him. "Whatcha gonna do, I'm already dead slut. You don't like it, you can suck my spectral dick. You must be an amazing fuck cause this wannabe Lucifer sure as fuck didn't make you his Queen for your brains."
"Lord Lucifer will be visiting later tonight, be ready for him." Grayfia replied, her tone completely blank as she teleported out.
Reappearing in a grassy clearing in the Underworld, she took a deep breath before she let out a fierce growl, her magic obliterating everything in the clearing.
- Kuro -
"Can you please not go out of your way to piss off one of the most powerful devils in the Underworld?" I ask, half-glaring at the entirely too smug Izan as he floats around.
"Do you think I was doing that for fun? Dumbass, try not to be such a fucking disappointment, you're Lord Dantalion now after all." Izan scoffs as he floats back in front of me.
"...don't call me that or you're going back to Super-Hell." I threaten as he rolls his eyes, despite the hint of fear I catch on his face.
"You don't wanna be called a disappointment? I'll tell you the same thing I told your pissant of a father when he tried to get me to stop. You don't wanna be insulted, then get strong enough to make me stop. He never did, maybe you'll do better." Izan says simply, shrugging.
"I... fair enough, now do you wanna explain what the fuck that was all about?" I ask after a moment, I don't really care about insults to be honest.
Anyone who gets upset over insults needs to grow a thicker skin.
"That was me derailing the arrogant bitches plans. I know a power move when I see one, and some fucking maid just letting herself into your estate? She was either arrogant enough to think she could get away with it, or she was testing you. You're a fucking lord, if you let some servant walk all over you, no matter who she serves, you've already lost." Izan warns.
"True... but that doesn't change the fact that they could both kill me, and by extension you, with a particularly harsh glare." I point out making him scoff.
"If looks could kill, the bitch dressed like an expensive whore pretending to be a maid would have disintegrated us both already. Trust me, I know how to deal with people stronger than me, I had to learn to deal with the original Satans. Lucifer could have swatted me like a bug, any of the four overpowered nut jobs could have, and I still dealt with them regularly." Izan says with a smirk. "Hell, Lilith could have ended me with a spell and I still had the psychotic bitch on her knees, worshipping my cock in exchange for me warding Castle Lucifer."
"How the hell did you survive the Underworld long enough for Michael to kill you?" I ask as I sigh.
"By making myself too important for the Satans to kill, you know how gratifying it is to have someone like Lilith on her knees staring up at you as she deep throats your cock, knowing she hates you, knowing she's more powerful than you... and still having her take your load on her face?" Izan laughs to himself.
"Can't say I do."
"Take my advice, kid, and you might just find out. Still... I'm way too out of the loop, I can help you deal with this wannabe Lucifer but I need information. The fuck did I miss?" Izan asked, making me pause.
"...where do you want me to start?"
- Sirzechs -
When he first heard that Kiba had decided to confront the new Dantalion directly, he was less than pleased.
As much as he adored his little sister, Rias coddled her peerage far too much, and refused to try and fix them out of a loving delusion that they weren't broken.
When Grayfia returned and reluctantly admitted that she had made an error in judgement, he was bemused.
Not at Grayfia trespassing, but at a fairly weak devil who had been a lord for less than a month being willing to call her out on it.
It was fairly often that he did things that were technically against the rules just to prove a point, he could do what he wanted. He was after all, the strongest devil alive, and no-one was willing to challenge him over minor rules, not even the Old Satan Faction.
They may hate him, but they were well aware of the difference in power between him and them, it was a careful balancing act to keep them both fearful enough to stay in line while also happy enough that they wouldn't start making too many plots in the background...
They were always plotting of course, but keeping them mostly happy meant they stuck to more... minor plots, merely irritating instead of damaging.
While if they stopped fearing him and his fellow Satans, they would try and reclaim their power by force.
His constant breaking of lesser laws reminded people that he was so powerful as to be above reproach, without being serious enough to actually anger people.
Ironically, it supported the very might makes right mindset the Old Satans were so fond of, and the very same mindset that he and the new Satans had tried to get rid off.
But their might was the only thing keeping them in their positions, and it served their needs to make sure people remembered that.
It was why he never bothered to put a stop to Grayfia's habit of coming and going as she pleased, it was a minor offence that made sure people remembered how powerful they were.
Somehow, he hadn't expected a ghost of a devil long dead to be the one to finally call her out on it.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, face to face." Sirzechs said calmly with a smile as he sat opposite the new Lord Dantalion, his gaze flickering to the ghost of Izan Dantalion. "Your father spoke often and fondly of you, and it is nice to put a face to the name I've heard so often." Sirzechs lied easily.
He barely actually met Kuro's father, and he had heard nothing of Kuro from the man.
"Hey brat, summon the actual Lucifer real quick... I wanna show him the girly boy who stole his name." Izan cut in, even as Sirzechs kept his smile, waving down Grayfia as she went to retort.
Attacking a devil's pride was a very effective way of getting a response, something Izan clearly already knew. Unfortunately for the spectral devil he wasn't so easily taunted.
From Rias and Grayfia's reluctant description their meetings with Izan and Kuro, he had gotten an idea of their personalities.
Izan was deliberately antagonistic, using insults and mockery to throw his opponents off guard, while Kuro was a far more quiet negotiator, preferring to stay silent and let his opponents talk so he could gather more information, saying as little as he could get away with as to give people as little information to work with as possible.
An effective combination, as Izan would trick their opponents into reacting and giving Kuro more information to use in the negotiation. The counter was simple, don't react to Izan's mockery and remain calm.
It was no wonder so many devils had trouble dealing with Izan during his time as Lord Dantalion, staying calm was rather difficult for most devils.
"I would really you rather didn't, it would be for the best for everyone if the former Lucifer remained gone, though I'm sure his reaction would be highly entertaining." Sirzechs replied with an easy grin.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Sirzechs. Feel free to ignore Grandfather." Kuro said calmly, slouching slightly even as he met with one of the rulers of his race.
"I think that would be rather difficult, given that his presence is one of the things I wished to discuss with you today. I've studied the records of the Dantalion's known powers... but I have to say, I have never heard of a ward that can return the dead to even this form of unlife." Sirzechs admitted.
"Cause it's not a ward, obviously." Izan scoffed. "You should do your research, even if I can't say I'm surprised to see another Gremory too dumb to do anything without their bullshit luck power carrying them. What the fuck kind of power is good luck anyway?"
As he kept his smile in place, he took a moment to enjoy the look of anger that flashed on Izan's face at his lack of reaction.
"Despite his tone, Grandfather is telling the truth... it isn't a Dantalion power, or perhaps it would be better to say that it wasn't? My mother was the last surviving member of the Gäap family." Kuro explained after a moment, making his eyes narrow.
"Whose unique magic gave them power over corpses." Sirzechs followed up, deep in thought.
Nyra Dantalion's original family was something she had kept to herself, for reasons he was quickly working out. The Gäap had made enemies, many enemies, even amongst the other Pillar houses due to their habit of stealing corpses of powerful beings to use their magic on... something that had lead to their apparent utter destruction.
Except for Nyra, who had clearly fled... and married a man who happened to have wards powerful enough to protect her from her family's enemies.
"Not quite, the Gäap family magic gave them power over Death, a power I inherited." Kuro corrected calmly as Sirzechs paused in thought.
That made Kuro the last surviving member of not one, but two Pillar houses, though the Gäap lands had long since been claimed by different houses as was the case with all extinct houses.
"Hmm, and yet again I have never heard of a Gäap summoning the soul of a devil back from the abyss, something that would certainly have been documented as it disproves the long standing belief that there is no afterlife for our kind." Sirzechs commented.
"Ever heard of Family Secrets, dumbass?" Izan scoffed, glaring at Grayfia. "If your sex doll hadn't barged her way into our private property then you still wouldn't have known, or were you hoping we were just gonna let that go?"
"Ah yes, that." Sirzechs said calmly, taking a sip of the drink one of the Dantalion slaves had provided. "You have my utmost apologies and my assurance that I am willing to make amends for my Queen's actions against your family, but we have other matters to cover first." Sirzechs said, still smiling.
He wanted to get as much information about Kuro as possible before he dealt with that particular problem.
"You better, I think we should just tell the fake Leviathan where she can shove her offer and go back to the castle if this is what we can expect, but the brat wants to hear you out first." Izan said with a shrug.
Yes, that would be a bit of a problem. Serafall took her job seriously, and she already disliked Grayfia due to their... long rivalry going back to the civil war.
"For which, you have my thanks Lord Dantalion." Sirzechs said with a nod towards the quieter Dantalion, getting a lazy nod back. "Firstly, in regards to the confrontation between you and the Knight of my sister earlier today, Yuuto Kiba has been taken back to the Underworld for disciplining and training from my mother, Lady Gremory, you have my word that he will not bother you again, and he will likely not return to Kuoh for...a considerable amount of time, my mother is a harsh taskmaster at the best of times. My father, Lord Gremory, is perfectly willing to make amends for his actions."
Watching Kuro, he waited as he saw the mind behind the lazy eyes at work. He was used to dealing with intelligent but lazy people, and he took a brief moment to hope Kuro and Falbium never met.
"Lord Gremory has my thanks... but I think this is a matter best kept between myself and Rias, for her sake if nothing else." Kuro said after a moment, making his eyebrows raise. "We are... fellow Kings working alongside one another, and I won't be able to respect her if she can't deal with her own issues without relying on her family after all." Kuro explained as Sirzechs paused, thinking.
"I understand, I will pass your words onto my sister." Sirzechs agreed with a slight smile. It would do Rias good to have to deal with this herself. Rias only really dealt with two of her peers, Sona who was her childhood friend, and Riser who she hated from day one.
It was part of the reason he decided to push Serafall to have Kuro come to Kuoh. Being in regular contact with a peer who was neither friend nor foe from the beginning would hopefully help her grow. Rias had been coddled and spoiled far too much growing up, and he had to admit he was the most guilty party.
That wouldn't stop him from keeping a very close eye on them though... not that he ever really took his eye of Rias, she was too cute to leave unsupervised, even if he gave her some space so she could enjoy the illusion of independence.
The simple truth was that neither Sona nor Rias would ever truly be left unattended, not when both he and Serafall had plenty of enemies who would happily target their little sisters to get to them. There had been several attempts to kidnap them over the years, and only one had ever gotten through.
Sona had been kidnapped from their family estate when she was a child in an attempt to blackmail Serafall, a plan that had proven successful for a brief time before his Knight, Okita had been able to track the kidnappers down and rescue Sona from them.
Their deaths at Serafall's hands had not been quick, and it certainly hadn't been painless.
Ever since then, both he and Serafall had made sure that their siblings were never truly unguarded, even pushing them to share a single town for the sake of making protecting them discretely easier.
"In that case, we shall move on. Secondly, Izan... the afterlife." Sirzechs started making the ghost smirk.
"Wanna know what you should expect? Hoping for good news? Cause I haven't got any for you, all that's waiting for us devils is eternal suffering. My guess, Big G set up something to screw us over for the whole rebellion thing and never bothered to tell anyone. Merciful my ass, guys a cunt." Izan scoffed. "Hell is real, and it's a lot less pleasant than the Underworld. Can't tell you much more, didn't see anyone else there, it was just pain and suffering every day for what felt like an eternity, and you never get used to it... then the brat plucked me out of that shithole."
"I see." Sirzechs said gravely, this was... not going to go over well with their people.
"Yup, sucks to be us." Izan said with a shrug, smirking at the discomfort from him and Grayfia. "Pretty sure we all head that way, but I was a bit of a cunt when I was alive so maybe it was worse for me? Or not, it's not like there's a single devil out there that hasn't committed a sin or three."
Ideally, he'd like to order Kuro to keep this secret, to not use the power he had gained from his Gäap heritage, but that wasn't really an option. Telling a Lord of a family to not use his family magic? If that ever got out even the families loyal to the new Satans would be up in arms.
He'd need to discuss this with the other Satans, soon.
"Not what I wanted to hear but the truth seldom is, you have my thanks." Sirzechs said before turning back to Kuro. "Now, I have two more things to discuss with you today... what do you know of my sister's current predicament?"
"Just what I've been able to put together from news, and a rather amusing video of Rias throwing her drink at Riser. She's in an arranged marriage against her will and doesn't like her betrothed." Kuro said, his lips twitching.
It was a rather amusing video, even if it had caused quite a bit of trouble.
"Indeed, this is... off the record, just an idle comment. I dislike Riser myself, he's a poor match for Rias, but as one of the Satans I cannot interfere in the affairs of two pillar houses, there would be... considerable consequences for it you understand, and my father is set on this course. As a Satan, I am a neutral party in this... but as a big brother? If you find a way to either directly or indirectly break the engagement, I will consider myself in your debt, and grant you one favour, anything within my power with no questions asked, and you'll find that having a Satan at your back is a powerful thing." Sirzechs said casually, watching Kuro's eyes widen slightly before narrowing.
"I prefer having a Satan on her back, but the fake Lucifer ain't wrong... it's nice to have friends in high places." Izan agreed after a moment.
"I highly doubt you've ever bedded a Satan." Grayfia scoffed to herself, making Izan smirk entirely too triumphantly.
Interesting... that was a trap, but why?
"Good maids should be seen, and felt, but not heard, so keep those pouty lips sealed... and what do you mean I've never fucked a Satan? Are you telling me that you honestly didn't know that Leviathan was Kuro's grandmother?" Izan asked, far too innocently, everyone but him frozen in shock and confusion.
Even Kuro himself as he turned to his cackling Grandfather.
"Oh, right... I told Iaxes he was an unwanted bastard, so I guess you didn't know either brat? Welp, surprise, you're basically devil royalty." Izan cackled to himself as Kuro glared at him.
"And you wait until now to tell me?" Kuro growled under his breath.
"Eh, I thought you knew to be honest, if you don't believe me just call my old cum-dump back from Hell and she can confirm she squirted that disappointment of a son out." Izan said with a shrug. "I didn't even want the little bastard but... well, when you're fucking a crazy bitch like Levi, you should probably keep your dick in your pants cause she caught me fucking someone else while she was knocked up and she kinda lost her temper... hormonal psycho cut my nads off so I wasn't having any more kids and got stuck with Iaxes." Izan admitted bluntly, shrugging to himself. "I'd say never stick your dick in crazy, but then no man would ever get laid cause all women are batshit insane."
"No seriously, how the actual fuck did you survive as long as you did?"
As the two Dantalion's squabbled, Sirzechs's mind raced.
"If I recall correctly, Leviathan only had one child... a daughter named Tsufaame Tereaku Leviathan." Sirzechs asked quickly, forcing down his growing excitement.
If Izan was telling the truth, he had just found his weapon to help destroy the Old Satan faction...
"That's still a stupid name, but Levi always sucked at naming stuff. It was twins, Iaxes who I took and Tsufaame who Levi kept, one heir for each family... clearly I got fucked scammed. She got a genius magician and I got a waste of seed. Oi brat, call Iaxes back to the land of the living so I can call him a fucking disappointment one last time."
It would be easy enough to prove... Ajuka has samples from the original Satans in his lab, part of his research into why those four were so much more powerful than every other devil. Ajuka could compare the sample with a sample from Kuro and either prove or disprove Izan's claims... but if Kuro was really the grandson of the original Leviathan, that meant he had a better claim to the position than Katerea Leviathan, Tsufaame's daughter... and one of the leaders of the Old Satan faction.
Tsufaame was slain by Ajuka during the civil war, something that he decided to keep to himself. It was common enough knowledge, but it wasn't his job to tell Izan the fate of his daughter.
Despite how Izan and Levi split the twins up, if it was twins of a different gender, then the male was the one to become the heir, and having the true heir of one of the original Satans support the New Satans would hurt the Old Satans severely... perhaps not enough to destroy their faction but at the very least it would pull away some of their support.
The ideal path was obvious, confirm Izan's claims and then have Kuro and Serafall marry, legitimising Serafall's position as the Leviathan in a way that the Old Satans would not be able to refute.
Of course that wasn't something he could arrange, but once the tests were complete... he could at least carefully approach Serafall about it. A political marriage was nothing if it stopped the budding civil war in its tracks.
"Such a claim isn't one that can be made without evidence, the bloodlines of the Original Satans are almost sacred to certain sects in the Underworld... but if you wish to claim your alleged Grandmothers bloodline, I can help you with that." Sirzechs offered, turning to Kuro with a carefree smile. "My fellow Satan has samples from our predecessors, with a blood sample from you he will be able to prove or disprove your Grandfathers claims."
"Giving my blood to Lucifer? Yup, can't see any way for that to end badly for me." Kuro drawled, even as he rolled his eyes. Blood magic was a vampiric thing, despite the stories, there wasn't much a devil, even one as powerful as him, could do with a vial of blood.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small glass vial as the slightest hint of magic came from him, some kind of pocket dimension magic? He summoned that vial from somewhere else, though it wasn't a branch of magic he was familiar with.
Drawing a small dagger from his pocket, he slashed at his wrist with utter disinterest, letting the blood pour into the vial for a moment, filling it.
Putting his dagger away, he placed a stopper on the vial before he paused and ran a finger along the still bleeding cut on his wrist, smirking as his flesh shifted, fixing itself.
Healing magic? No, not quite, he hadn't simply undone the wound like Twilight Healing could have done, he simply... commanded his flesh to close the wound.
Kuro had quite the bag of tricks up his sleeves.
As Kuro tossed the vial across the table, he caught it with ease, pocketing the vial of scarlet liquid.
"I'll give this to Azazel later today, it's best we don't delay on this." Sirzechs promised, he needed to know if Izan was just fucking with them as soon as possible, many plans would need changing with a more neutral heir to the Leviathan in play.
"Which leaves just one more thing before I can finally go to bed." Kuro snarked, resting his head on his hand.
"Indeed, the actions of my own Queen." Sirzechs said simply, turning to look at Grayfia as she fidgeted slightly. Most people wouldn't have been able to notice the slight hint of nervousness as Grayfia stared back at them, but most people hadn't known her as long as he had.
Grayfia was his Queen, the mother of his child, his maid and his wife... in that order. As his Queen, her actions affected him, she spoke with his voice and acted with his hands, and normally that was wonderful.
It was a busy life as a Satan, and having a trusted right hand to act on his behalf was a necessity, something Serafall really should learn as she would have an easier time if she actually chose a Peerage finally.
But Serafall was a prideful woman, and she refused to trust anyone else to do her job, assuming anyone but her would fail. It was why she was eternally busy, she insisted on doing everything herself.
But having a trusted right-hand wasn't always advantageous... the mistakes of his right hand were his own mistakes. Grayfia's trespass was the same as him trespassing, her indirect insult to Serafall's new pet project the same as him insulting Kuro to his face.
With Serafall paying so much attention to her new project, he couldn't afford to upset her by interfering in her recruitment of the Dantalion's, and that was ignoring the advantages for their race that came from bringing another house back into the fold, especially one with powers like the Dantalion wards. The Devil race needed the four Satans united, not squabbling.
But with the discovery of Kuro's possible heritage? It became essential that he soothed any ruffled feathers, before it became publicly known. He could already hear the Old Satans whispering into Kuro's ears, and he didn't want Grayfia's arrogance to give them the ammunition they needed to get the new lord on their side.
So there came times when he had to discipline his right hand, distancing himself from her actions and doing what was necessary for the greater good of his race.
"I have a suggestion on that matter, a way to discipline her for her forgetting her place while making amends to your house for her insult." Sirzechs offered, watching as Grayfia's eyes widened ever so slightly, a hint of betrayal on her face.
This wasn't ideal, but Grayfia had placed him in an uncomfortable position... and this was her mistake, her arrogance insulting the wrong person. Family secrets were taken rather seriously amongst the Underworld, and barging into a family ritual was a rather serious crime.
One he couldn't afford to have the public realise his Queen had committed.
"Oh?" Kuro asked, sitting up a bit straighter as he turned his gaze to Grayfia, acknowledging her existence for the first time this meeting.
"My idea is simple, Grayfia shall serve the House Dantalion for two days a week, for the foreseeable future until she has worked off her crime. I can't be without my Queen all the time, but a couple of days a week is perfectly manageable. If you wish to discipline her, you may do so yourself, if not she can simply serve in her chosen role as a maid." Sirzechs suggested making Kuro's eyes widen, even as Grayfia let out a slight gasp.
Grayfia spent most of her time playing the maid, a role that she could afford to not do for a couple of days a week since they had other maids anyway, and his mother would happily watch Millicas for them.
He could feel the room grow just a hint colder, but he had decided already and he wouldn't be swayed. Grayfia had gotten herself into this mess, and if it was only affecting a single pillar house he would have used his considerable sway to get her out of it...
But this was a matter involving a house that hadn't rejoined the pillars yet, one of his fellow Satans and the Old Satans when they inevitably found out and rushed to either recruit Kuro or kill off the threat that he represented.
Having Grayfia in Kuoh on such a regular basis would help him keep his sister safe, keep an eye on Kuro and prevent the old Satans from approaching him. They would be hesitant to approach Kuro if they had no idea if Grayfia would be nearby, so changing up the days she served her sentence would delay their inevitable attempts at recruiting him.
Having the length of time be so... vague was deliberate, it meant he could simply decide that she had served enough after a couple of weeks if he decided to, specifically after he found out whether Kuro truly was a Leviathan or not, and he wouldn't be breaking his word.
"...I don't think she likes that idea." Kuro pointed out, his lips twitching slightly.
"Few enjoy their punishment, but you don't have to worry about her, does he Grayfia?" Sirzechs asked, glancing back at her as she forced her scowl down, her face carved from stone as she stared back.
"If this is what my King requires, so be it." Grayfia replied robotically, staring expressionlessly at Kuro, blatantly not looking at him.
Izan was suspiciously quiet, frankly he expected several lewd comments of how Grayfia could serve them by now, but the spectral figure was simply floating behind with a scheming smirk on his face.
"I suppose the bragging rights of having Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation serving me, even part-time, would be worth it alone... sure, why not?" Kuro drawled, leaning back in his chair.
"If you want to discipline the disobedient maid, I should still have Levi's favourite paddle back in the castle, I doubt anyone could ever break into the wards on my room, and that paddle can really sting, Levi was a beast and she still yelped like a lil bitch every time it came down on her perfect pale ass." Izan suggested, the room growing colder as he smirked at her.
As Izan suggested his grandson paddle Grayfia, both his Queen and Kuro glanced at him, Grayfia scowled and Kuro raising an eyebrow at his lack of a reaction.
"Your room is still sealed... as is the Wardcrafting workshop and store-room, the treasury and about half of the castle." Kuro said with a half-glare making Izan pause, before he burst out laughing.
"Iaxes never managed to break those wards? They aren't even that fucking good, what a worthless twat. I just put those there to incentivise him to get better."
"No, he didn't... which is why half the castle is inaccessible, you'll be fixing that." Kuro warned, Izan's smirk fading before he shrugged.
"I'm dead, you'll have to fix it... but I can show you how, it's why you brought me back right? Teach you and I get spared the infernal fires of Hell." Izan said with a shrug.
"More or less. You can stay as long as you're more useful than you are annoying." Kuro confirmed making Izan laugh.
"So ruthless, I like you more than the disappointment already."
"I'm a devil, get used to it. Who would put up with you if you aren't useful?" Kuro pointed out, making Izan pause before nodding.
"That's fair. Big G knows Luci would have incinerated me a hundred times over if he didn't need my warding skills during the war." Izan admitted with a casual shrug.
"As interesting as this is, I am a busy man, and with everything dealt with I do believe it is time for me to take my leave." Sirzechs said as he rose. "Grayfia, I will watch Millicas myself tomorrow, I do have a rare day off and it will be nice to enjoy some rare father-son bonding time, and I will speak to my mother about watching him while you are otherwise busy in the future, I don't like leaving him in the hands of the maids after all, being raised by maids is how you get devils like Riser after all." Sirzechs said as he gave his wife one last stern look, getting a stony nod back from her. "Lord Dantalion, it was a true pleasure to meet someone as reasonable as you."
"The pleasure was all mine, Lord Lucifer. I hope you enjoy your father-son bonding more than I expect I'm going to enjoy my grandfather-grandson bonding." Kuro snarked as Sirzechs rose, giving off a laugh.
Izan would make a fine mentor in his art, there was no denying that, but he didn't envy Kuro for having to spend a large amount of time with him.
- Kuro -
"Izan, I get the feeling you're just going to make things worse if you stick around so go float somewhere else, the wards won't let you leave the estate but you can go anywhere within it." I say after Sirzechs teleports away, leaving his less than pleased wife behind.
Izan grumbles but floats through the ceiling regardless.
I know she's going to be spying on me, but I have to admit I didn't expect him to simply throw her under the bus like that... the Satan Lucifer is as ruthless as his name suggests.
Quest Received
[Break the Engagement] – Quest Giver: Sirzechs Lucifer
Sirzechs doesn't approve of his sister's betrothal to Riser Phenex, but he cannot break the engagement himself without unpleasant consequences. That's where you come in.
Objective: Stop the marriage between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex by any means necessary.
Reward: A Favour from Sirzechs Lucifer, Additional rewards available based on the method of completion.
Hm.
I could just ignore this, but a favour from a man like Sirzechs could be a powerful thing down the line.
I'll keep it in mind, if I find a way to break the engagement easily, I'll consider it.
But now... what to do about you.
Staring at Grayfia as her silver eyes drill into my skull, I wait a moment to see if she'll react before realising she seems content to simply stare me down forever.
"I'm curious, are you actually going to follow any of my orders?" I ask after a moment of awkward silence, making her scoff to herself, glaring at me still.
"My king has made his decision, if the wishes for me to go through this punishment then so be it." Grayfia replied, her tone clipped as she side-stepped the question.
Rising from my own chair, I walk around the table and approach the silver-haired woman slowly, stopped just in front of her as I stare at her, slightly proud that we are at eye-level.
"I asked you a simple question, are you going to do as you are told?" I ask staring into her eyes as they narrow, I can hear her teeth grit together as the icy air brushes against my skin.
It's easy to tell when Grayfia is angry, the entire room drops several degrees.
"...yes." Grayfia finally bites out, the room becoming uncomfortably cold, even for me.
And I'm a necromancer who grew up in the middle of a frozen wasteland.
"Hmm, that's good." I say calmly, Grayfia's obedience to her king gives me a safety net dealing with her, otherwise I'd not want to be in the same realm as her while she is this... displeased.
"Very little about this is good." Grayfia spits out as I chuckle, reaching up and running my hand along one of her silver braids, tied at the bottom with cute blue bows. Her hair is insanely silky... I wonder if it is a devil thing or she simply pays a lot of attention to it.
"And if I decide to discipline you, will you accept that as well?" I ask, watching her eyes narrow to angry slits.
"I... will." Grayfia sneers at me, speaking slowly.
This is an opportunity.
One that could end with me dead, but an opportunity all the same.
Grayfia Lucifuge is one of the strongest women in DxD as far as I know, certainly one of the strongest female devils, and right now she has been put at my beck and call.
But this has its limits, and I obviously can't trust her... at the moment.
But I have a handy relationship tracker telling me exactly how much people like me... and more importantly, how obedient they are.
Grayfia Lucifuge, The Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation
LVL – ?
Faction – The Seventy-Two Pillars
Role – Maid, Queen
Race – Pureblood Devil
Thoughts – Anger, Humiliation, Betrayal, Disgust
Affection – -40
Obedience – 10
Right now, she isn't obedient to me and she really doesn't like me. That should be obvious, she is willing to obey me purely because she's following Sirzechs's orders, and that is to be expected...
But she's feeling betrayed, she has been pulled out of her comfort zone and that gives me an opportunity.
Can I steal Grayfia from under Sirzechs?
It's insane, suicidal... but looking at her I can only think one simple thing.
I want her.
When I got the drawback Kleptomania, I assumed it would be items that I would long for, but... it isn't. I need Grayfia, not just on some temporary basis that Sirzechs can end whenever he wants, but I want Grayfia to be mine...
And mine alone.
Enough to risk the wrath of the Satan Lucifer for her.
"I see, but words are cheap. You are a very prideful woman, and you are so much stronger than me it is unreal. It must grate your pride to be ordered to obey someone as weak as me" I admit, watching her pause. "I want... proof you mean what you say. Follow me." I order, enjoying the thrill of commanding a woman so powerful.
Heading to the far more comfortable living room, I take a seat on the cosy chair and stare at her as she trails behind me.
"Before we confirm your... willingness to take part in your punishment, I do have a question for you." I say as she stands in front of me, staring down at me with a look of disgust. "What do you think of this betrothal between Rias and Riser?" I ask, making her pause. "I'm curious about your opinion on it before I decide what I want to do about your lords offer."
"I think Rias is simply being immature, the alliance between the Gremory and Phenex houses is more important than her childish desire for a fairy-tale romance, she is the Heiress of her family and she has responsibilities that she avoids as much as possible, playing student in the human world instead." Grayfia says after a moment of thought. "The rumour floating around that the marriage was arranged to produce a new Satan-Class Devil with the Power of Destruction and Regeneration is ridiculous, simply getting pregnant is hard enough for devils who are happily married, and devil genes are unpredictable at the best of times, it could take centuries before Rias is pregnant and there is no guarantee the child would have any of the bloodline powers let alone all of them." she continues, almost talking to herself.
"So, you think the marriage should go through?" I ask, interrupting her rant. "Rias seems to disagree."
"Hmm. I do love Rias, she's my adorable sister-in-law and I've watched her grow into a beautiful young woman... but she is incredibly lazy and irresponsible, if she was willing to truly try and escape the marriage she would have done so already, but she instead sits around playing human while she waits for someone else to save her. I hoped the upcoming marriage would push her to train harder but she barely trains at all. Sirzechs has spoiled her ever since the day she was born, and it has made her far too used to simply getting her way without lifting a finger, I think this could serve as a good lesson for her, but I don't believe it will go through regardless. Rias will find herself unable to escape her engagement because she slacked off too much, she'll go crying to Sirzechs and he won't be able to resist getting involved and having the whole thing called off, the Phenex's will be offended, the alliance will be ruined and Rias will get her way." Grayfia says calmly. "So I doubt it will make a difference if you get involved or not."
"I see, I appreciate your input." I say calmly, thinking to myself.
I'm going to grab Issei soon, I can't leave Boosted Gear where it can be grabbed by anyone, and that will derail basically the entire plot making what little I know of this world useless.
Not that I haven't already done that by simply existing.
Without Issei, the power of friendship and more plot-armour than an Uchiha, Rias won't be able to escape her marriage on her own, but Grayfia would know better than me about how this will go and she thinks Rias will get out regardless.
But... if I am the one to supply the means of her escape, Sirzechs owes me a favour and Rias will be in my debt. On the other hand, I'll have made Riser an enemy and Riser... exists?
What happens to Riser after the wedding? He just kind fucks off and isn't really mentioned again.
Simply nodding, Grayfia remains still as she stares down at me, her mind taken off her situation for just a moment.
"So, now to make sure you actually meant what you said." I say as her glare returns.
"...what would you have me do?" Grayfia grounds out as I smile to myself.
I want those ruby red lips wrapped around my cock, I want to see what Izan was talking about when he said it was amazing to get a blowjob from someone who disliked you, but Izan is a fucking idiot and it got him killed.
I need to take this in small steps instead of rushing to the finish line.
- Grayfia -
This was ridiculous.
"I have a few ideas, and I can't decide between them." Kuro said calmly, shrugging lazily as he smiled up at her. "So I'll let you pick one."
She could understand Sirzechs's reasoning, for someone who had known him so long he may have well explained it all out loud, but that didn't stop her from feeling betrayed at how easily Sirzechs decided her punishment.
He could have easily pushed for something light, but he realised he could use this to protect Rias and keep an eye on the new Lord Dantalion at the same time and jumped at the chance.
"And what would they be?" Grayfia said, trying to hold in her sneer.
It was her pride that got her in this mess, and it was her pride that would keep her in it if she lost her temper and made matters worse.
"Like I said, I have a few options. First option, I want you to kiss me." Kuro said simply as she scowled. "Not a little peck either, a proper kiss." he explained as she gave him her most unamused look.
"What else?" she asked, ignoring the way his eyes moved to her lips.
"Second, you can stand still and let me touch you. Just for a minute or two."
Of course. He was a teenage devil who had just been given permission to order her around.
"Keep going."
The options weren't going to get any better, but she wanted to hear her choices. Sometimes, there were downsides to being married to a Satan, to her king, because there was always the chance he would decide to put his responsibilities to their race above his responsibilities as a husband. She normally admired his dedication to their race, but it was hard to keep that in mind while she was under the command of a mere child.
"Finally, you can lift up your skirt and hold it in place. That's all, easy right?" he asked as she paused.
It wasn't a good option, but it was one that didn't result in him touching her... or her touching him.
Reaching down, she grasped at her skirt with both hands, gripping the cloth tightly as she slowly started to pull, lifting it.
She realised she was giving him a better show by doing it slowly, exposing her long legs, covered by her white lace stockings, but she couldn't bring herself to speed up, to rush to obey his orders.
As she continued lifting, her skirt rose above milky white thighs, drawing Kuro's gaze as he smirked at her almost triumphantly. Why wouldn't he, here she was... the strongest Queen, slowly exposing herself on his orders.
How pathetic.
Finally pulled above her waist, she stared at him challengingly as he took a long stare at her tiny white panties.
"Hmm, turn around." Kuro ordered after a moment, staring at her barely covered mount as she let out a quiet growl to herself and spun on the spot. "Very nice, honestly I didn't think you'd do it." Kuro admitted as he stared at her large ass, her butt cheeks almost devouring her thong, almost completely hiding it as he admired her assets.
"My king has made his orders clear." Grayfia said slowly, not looking back at him.
"Hmm, perhaps I'll have to look into this magical paddle of Izan's." Kuro muttered as she glared at the wall in front of her. "You can stop now, why don't you go and pick a room to use while you are here?" Kuro said after a moment, watching as she immediately dropped her skirt again.
"As you wish... my lord." Grayfia growled out, staring him down.
Her pride needed to be set aside, she didn't want to think of the punishment she would have forced on her if she let it get her into more trouble.
"Oh, I like that..." Kuro chuckled as she left.
Of course he did.
- Kuro -
+5 Obedience with Grayfia [15/100]
It's going to be a long term project... but damn if I'm not going to enjoy the journey.
Now that she's away... I do have work to do however.
Opening up the map, I change my equipment into something easier to move in and leave the house.
It's a bit of a journey into the city, now covered in darkness as the cloud-cloaked moonlight and dim street lamps fail to properly illuminate the streets, but I arrive quickly letting out a groan as I read the sign outside the house.
Hyoudou.
Of course Issei has a Dungeon in his backyard.
Hopping over the wall, I take a moment to appreciate how nice it is to have wings as I head into the back garden of the surprisingly nice house.
The backyard is almost completely normal... with the exception of two things that stood out.
One, the small hole in the fence on the right side of the house, looking into the neighbours garden, and two... the way the trunk of the large tree in the back corner of the house splits open to expose a glowing green portal.
...can normal people just not see that?
Only you and those you chose can see the portals to the dungeons, master.
Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks, Isis.
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
I've been wondering how I was going to get my horde from place to place, moving a single naga through the city is easy, they stick to the shadows, blend in and slither around out of sight... trying to get ten ghouls around without being noticed is a bit more difficult.
But I have learnt a little trick, I can make portals to my lair from basically anywhere... and I can add doors to my lair anywhere.
So all I had to do was make a door to my lair in the estate, then have all my horde enter it and wait for me to open the portal in the dungeon, which I can do as long as I'm not in combat and I am in the starting area from my tests.
Heading into the portal, I blink as I look around my new surroundings, with it being so close to Issei I would have assumed it had something to do with Dragons (which is why I am absolutely prepared to run the moment things go wrong)... but looking around I realise I was wrong.
The forest around me is so thick I can barely see through the trees as I open the portal to my lair, twenty abominations pouring out and preparing for combat.
But while I can't see much... I can hear plenty.
So why the fuck can I hear what sounds like a party?
I can hear chanting, singing and cheering in the distance, along with the occasional sounds of metal clashing against metal. I can even smell... blood, over-cooked meat and what I think is some kind of alcohol, it's certainly no wine though.
Nodding to my nagas, I watch as they slither through the dark underbrush towards the noise.
Guess we're crashing a party tonight.
Getting my ghouls to follow a bit behind, I start moving myself, crouching as I slowly walk towards the noise, keeping to the bushes and trees to hide myself from the revellers.
The moment the camp comes into sight, I watch with bemused eyes as the green-skinned horde party the night away, feasting, fighting and fucking I sigh.
Well, at least they aren't resistant to physical damage?
Time to spoil the celebrations.
- The Spirit -
Betrayal.
It was that which stung the most, even as her body was hacked apart by her family blade and impaled with shards of glass as she was thrown throw a window, her body breaking as she hit the ground.
She had given everything to help her family, worked three part-time jobs while in university in the vain hope of helping her family with the medical bills her mothers illness had brought upon them.
She had no free time, working or studying all day, every day, but she never felt bitter or resentful as she tried to help those she loved.
Her reward was coming home to find her father standing other her beloved mother, her blood coating him as he slashed again and again at her unmoving corpse.
She'd tried to run, she hadn't gotten far.
To add to his dishonour, once he finished chopping her body to pieces, he ended his own life, hanging himself from the tree she used to climb when she was a child, shaming their family forever as he ended the line of Yamaoka.
Even as her body was taken away, her spirit lingered in the estate her family had fought to keep for centuries, even as run down as it had become from their impoverished state.
She'd remained silent even as outsiders came, watched as they repaired the rotting building, achieving in days what her family had failed to do in years, and then they left again.
And then another set of outsiders approached, and these ones had no desire to leave as the pale man, her own age, made his home in her ancestral estate, claiming the master bedroom for himself as he brought his... creatures to guard the estate.
But this was her home, her lands, and she would not allow an outsider to claim it for his own.
Reaching down, she gripped the spectral katana still protruding from her body and pulled it out, letting out an ear-piercing screech.
Lunging through the walls, she found her first target.
The other spirit invading her territory.
"Huh? Wait what the fu-" Izan shouted as the Spirit impaled him with her blade. "This is... some fucking... bullshit. Where's my ghost sword?"
Pulling her blade out of his chest, the Spirit let out another screech as she slashed at him again, severing his head from his spectral body, watching as he faded from this realm.
- Bonus Scene – Training a Wayward Knight -
"You may not like this simple truth, but it is one that you will have to come to accept." Venelana stated calmly as she stared into the glaring eyes of her daughters rebellious Knight. "You will never destroy the Excalibur Swords."
"I WILL! I have to!" Kiba growled back, a fanatical hatred filling his glare.
"No, you will not. The Excalibur Swords are one of the most sacred and important relics the Church has, and the destruction of even one of them at the hands of a devil would start the great war back up again. Your vengeance is far less important than the thousands of lives who would die in the aftermath, you would be hunted down and slain by the most powerful Angels and exorcists were you to manage to destroy even a single one of the blades, it is more than likely that Rias and the rest of her peerage would die as collateral."
Watching the slight flinch, Venelana sighed.
She was very good at reading people, it was a trait she had learnt after hundreds of years as the Lady of the house Gremory.
"Were it not for Rias, you would have died all those years ago... in fact you did die. Do you intend to repay her kindness with betrayal and prove her the fool many devils believe she is for treating you and the rest of her peerage as family?" Venelana asked bluntly, in his current state subtleties would be lost on him regardless.
"I- my friends gave their very lives so I could escape, I have to avenge them." Kiba said weakly, not answering the question. "The Project, the Swords... I have to destroy them."
"They gave their lives so you could live, not throw away that same life in a futile attempt at revenge. All you would achieve is making their sacrifice pointless." Venelana countered, remaining blunt as Kiba flinched as if struck. "You are free to move around the estate when you are not training or being disciplined for your actions, but if you attempt to leave the estate you will be declared a stray devil... and hunted down like one." Venelana said, her tone completely cold as she stared him down, seeing the growing horror on his face. "Lady Leviathan has placed a tracking spell on you, and she will know if you leave the perimeter. She was... less than pleased at your actions, and while Rias would be heartbroken it wouldn't save you."
"But-"
"But nothing, you will go to your room and await Okita. She was less than pleased to hear of you endangering your master through your rash actions." Venelana said with a hint of amusement as she watched him pale, leaving the room.
As he did, she took a moment to sigh deeply.
She had told Rias, over and over again, that she needed to help her peerage heal from their problems properly, there was only so much that cuddles and mollycoddling could help with.
She loved her daughter, but Rias was... incredibly stubborn, not to mention extremely lazy, and when she set her mind to something it was almost impossible to change it, especially when admitting she was wrong would result in her actually having to put in any effort.
She hoped this would be a wake-up call for Rias, to start dealing with both Akeno's hatred of Fallen (including herself), Koneko's fear of her heritage and Gaspers fear of... well, seemingly everything outside his room.
But she rather doubted it.
Clearly she needed to keep an eye on both her daughter and her peerage from now on.