Author's note: After christmas and Kingdom Come Deliverance II stole more time than I expected, this chapter took a bit longer to come out. Chapter 13 also ended up being over 6k words, so… worth it.
The Marvel jump happens in Chapter 13 and kicks off the new arc. I hope you're as excited to read it as I am to write it.
Hope you're all enjoying the last week of the year!
A Marvelous Devil:
Chapter 8: A Demon's Gambit.
Dante Andromalius.
Saturday, June 9th, 2007.
The hall filled quickly once Lord Sitri's invitation was extended.
Younger devils, mostly. Heirs and scions, each dressed to impress or intimidate, depending on who you asked. A few carried themselves with the quiet confidence of those who'd already earned their position.
Most did not. It was just gifted to them.
At the center of it all sat Sona Sitri. The guest of honor.
The reason we were all here. I studied her as the line of guests formed. She was composed, polite, and profoundly uninterested in the proceedings. Her eyes moved across each guest with polite boredom, cataloging, evaluating, and dismissing everyone.
Smart. But not as subtle as she thought.
When it was my turn, she met my gaze, and I felt her trying to see through me.
Amusing. More so when I noticed her clear interest, unlike the dismissive glances from the other devils. Perhaps Father's actions made a larger wave than I expected, and she was considering adding me to her peerage.
Not surprising. Most of her pieces were weak. She seemed like the sort of girl who preferred a group firmly under her control, and my situation suited that.
I was not known, so I doubted she understood how futile her attempts could be.
"Dante Andromalius," she said with a polite nod, her neutral expression never leaving her face. "Welcome. I'm glad you could attend this party. I hope the short notice didn't prevent you from preparing a gift. It's not required, of course."
Funny. The redhead next to her snorted softly, looking amused at the thinly veiled slight.
"It was no trouble, Heiress Sitri," I replied with a faint smile. "I had time."
With that, I placed a small wooden chest on the table. Hadrian had prepared a beautiful necklace, but it only proved how little he understood politics. No. Something so vain would not have worked on her, not with every noble doing the same.
Even if this was a gamble, it would work, but I didn't know how long it would take.
Her eyes sharpened at my answer, as if she had not expected me to care so little about her opinion. Still, she smiled politely, her training showing through, and opened the chest.
Then her eyes widened.
Her love for chess was known even everywhere in the Underworld, along with an online joke about how much it mattered to her. I hadn't needed to dig deeper than that.
The short time I had to prepare forced me to make a decision. I needed more power, and I spent most of it hunting demonic beasts in the forest, scraping together enough to create something worthy of placing in her hands.
A chess set that recorded every game she played. It analyzed the patterns she used and highlighted the opportunities she'd missed. The enchantment would adapt to her skill level, offering different insights as she improved. A study tool that would grow with her.
Each piece required the souls of multiple beasts. Individually, they were so insignificant that they barely increased my cosmic energy, but the work demanded delicacy. The kind I had not expected to need anytime soon.
The time it took was absurd. Previously, I could have done this with my eyes closed in the snap of a finger. Here, it took days just to reach an acceptable level.
But acceptable by my standards was still far beyond what she expected from someone in my position.
She carefully lifted one of the pieces, studying it.
"I hope you give it a fair chance, Lady Sitri," I nodded at her and turned around, not explaining what it truly did. "I hope your birthday went well in the mortal world."
"Mortal?" Rias Gremory lifted her eyebrows and pursed her lips.
Sona didn't say much but nodded her head, not looking deeply into my gift.
Not that I expected any difference. She must have hundreds of them.
And the other heirs thought the same. As I walked towards my seat, all the way to the far end of the table, I heard whispers and japes about how stupid my gift was. How a simple wooden chess set wouldn't mean anything to Sona. How some of them spent more than what my family made in a year on something better.
I ignored them all.
Taking a seat, I observed how little they thought of me.
It was painfully obvious this was the place for people who didn't matter much.
I, myself, barely recognized a single one close to me. And just because of how infamous he was.
A burly-looking young man looked at me with a raised eyebrow, looking between amused and disappointed at the same time.
"You do know you won't get her attention with that gift, no?" the ex-heir of the Bael house murmured softly, "Everyone heard about your father's actions. Are you sure this is the best way to get into her peerage? Sona is quite prickly with her pieces."
Hearing that made my mood plummet. By the one above all, what had father done? If someone like this devil knew about it, Hadrian must have done something particularly embarrassing. Probably the whole Underworld believed I was trying to get Sona's approval.
This was pathetic.
"You have no tact; did you know that?" I looked at him, shaking my head in amusement, "But yes, I'm aware. Sairaorg Bael."
"You know who I am?" he gave me his hand for a handshake.
"Aren't you worried about failing?" he finally asked after our greetings.
"Not particularly, no," I smiled neutrally.
Before we could continue, Lord Sitri rose from his seat, the motion alone enough to draw the room into silence. He was not a small man, nor a particularly imposing one. Still, he was respected as the highest authority in this territory. Most of it was thanks to his eldest daughter, though.
"My thanks to all of you for attending," he said, lifting his glass. "Your presence honors both my family and my daughter."
Sona stiffened in her seat but inclined her head.
"Her birthday was two days ago," Lord Sitri continued, a faint smile on his face, "As you all know, she's quite busy governing her city in the human world. Tonight is meant to correct that."
All guests applauded politely.
"To Sona Sitri. May her path be steady, her mind sharp, and her future worthy of her efforts."
Everyone lifted their cups. I raised mine with the rest, though the sentiment meant nothing to me.
As the toast concluded, the servants moved in, and the evening shifted into dinner without much fanfare.
Just what I needed. I was a bit famished.
The food was better than anything I had tried in this life. Understandable, really. But at least it meant that I wouldn't have to force myself to eat in the future. And I was sure Celestine and Hadrian would enjoy eating like this every day. It was the least I could do for my parents.
As the courses progressed, my attention drifted towards the center table.
Ajuka Beelzebub rose from the central table mid-meal, exchanged brief words with the other Satans, and departed without ceremony. The hall barely noticed.
I did. The way the world settled differently in his absence was... noteworthy.
Sairaorg poked my arm, asking about what kind of training I did and if I was interested in making a peerage. I responded where expected, but my focus remained with the Satans.
Dinner ended without incident.
Sirzechs Lucifer stood shortly after, offering his own casual congratulations before excusing himself. His exit carried more presence than Ajuka's, but still, no one was dumb enough to complain. The evening simply flowed around it.
Then Sona stood up.
She waited until the room fell silent. Her posture was straight, and she had a neutral expression.
"Thank you again for attending," she said evenly. "Your gifts and company are appreciated."
"And since this gathering is meant to be… informal," she continued, the word sounding like it offended her on a personal level, "I thought it fitting to propose some light entertainment."
Her gaze flicked, briefly, to the far end of the table.
"Chess," she said.
A collective wince passed through several of the heirs.
Sairaorg's expression didn't change, but his shoulders stiffened. Diodora Astaroth, a devil that radiated something off, smiled too quickly. I didn't know why he reminded me of some of my kin.
And not in a good way, obviously.
Riser Phenex looked like he would rather be anywhere else, though he forced an expression of interest.
Rias Gremory, on the other hand, looked amused despite her sigh.
As the guests began to shift to another round table, Riser leaned toward his fiancée, his fingers brushing against her hand.
The way Rias froze was interesting. Even more so, the disgusted expression on her face. She tried to hide it, but she wasn't fast enough. Her eyes darkened with anger as she pulled her hand away.
At least they did not make a scene.
But the dislike was unmistakable.
I had seen the news, but seeing it in person showed how strongly she opposed her marriage. This was… really useful to me. Rias was an important figure in the Underworld, and having her support would be very helpful.
Several boards were brought forward. A lot more than I honestly expected, most of them excessive enough to the point of parody. Mine looked out of place with the rest of them, and I wondered if my gamble would pay tonight or later.
Sona stepped closer, clearly intending to choose one at random, when Rias leaned in and whispered something in her ear, a smirk growing on her lips.
Sona sighed softly, rolled her eyes, and murmured a reply I didn't catch.
Then she reached past every other offering.
And her hand closed around my gift.
A murmur rippled through the hall. And I had to hide a smirk.
The first match began.
I did not bother watching closely. Diodora lost quickly, decisively, and without dignity. He didn't look particularly intelligent, and as he politely thanked Sona for the chance, I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else saw the pure darkness in his eyes.
What a vile little thing.
They were in the process of changing boards, some unspoken attempt to avoid slighting anyone, when a soft, robotic female voice echoed from the table.
"Would you like to review the previous game, Lady Sona?"
No one spoke, looking around in confusion until every head turned toward the queen's piece.
Then, slowly, eyes followed the line of implication until they found me, seated at the far end of the table, entirely unconcerned.
I lifted a hand and made a small, permissive gesture.
"Please, Lady Sitri," I nodded calmly. "Enjoy my gift."
Sona hesitated, a look of confusion appearing on her face. Then curiosity won.
"Yes," she said. "I would."
The board responded immediately.
A projection shimmered faintly above the pieces, illustrating positions, different possibilities, and the moves she could have taken.
"In the seventeenth move," the voice continued, "you pursued an advantage at the cost of board control. A simple sacrifice here would have led to a forced win within six moves."
Sona leaned forward. Her eyes growing wider by the second.
"With this adjustment," the voice went on, shifting the pieces, "your opponent's options would have collapsed. He was already overextended."
It was amusing the way her breath hitched and how her eyes shone.
The hall remained utterly still as the set continued, outlining alternatives, correcting inefficiencies, and revealing insights most people wouldn't even think about.
And for the first time that evening, every gaze in the room rested on me with something other than dismissal.
To my left, Sairaorg let out an impressed whistle. "I stand corrected."
I glanced at him, my lips twitching despite myself.
"That's impressive work, Dante. You're full of surprises."
I let out a chuckle at that, "You have no idea, Sairaorg."
Then, murmurs started immediately.
"An enchanted analysis system? That's…"
"Do you think he made this?"
I ignored them all, settling back in my seat as Sona continued examining the chess set with barely concealed fascination.
The matches continued. One by one, heirs and even Lords challenged Sona, and one by one, the set dissected their games with an experience beyond their knowledge. Each review drew more attention to the gift, and by extension, to me.
Exactly as planned.
The Gremory Heiress's assistance was… interesting. She had no reason to help me out, but there was no denying she had done so.
I was… curious. I didn't know if I should call her lucky or unlucky.
Later.
A short while later, the circle had thinned.
Seekvaira Agares sat back in her chair, staring at the board as if it had personally betrayed her. Sona stood across from her, looking in wonder while the chess set quietly reviewed the match.
"You secured the win by maintaining pressure along the right side," the voice said robotically. "However, a faster conclusion was possible had you advanced the c-pawn on move twenty-three."
Sona watched in silence, her eyes sharp as she absorbed everything. It looked like she had found the best invention since sliced bread.
When the review ended, she nodded thoughtfully once and lifted her gaze.
It found my amused look.
The only one who had not played.
"Dante Andromalius," she said. "This is a wonderful gift. But I can't help but notice you haven't offered a game. Would you care for a match?"
No one reacted much; they didn't expect anything from me.
After all, Sona Sitri was a known genius. A prodigy, according to the population.
I nodded, shrugging my shoulders slightly, "As you wish, my lady."
It took less than twenty minutes for the tension to rise.
At first, it was subtle. Sona misplacing a piece, then an exchange that favored my side too heavily. Then another. And another.
Sona was frowning deeply. A worried look was growing on her face.
And whispers started to rise. She was losing for the first time in her life.
Losing badly.
The board tilted against her in a way that made no sense. Every single move she made was met by the perfect answer.
Someone laughed nervously.
Rias covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes amused despite her shock. "Ara… maybe this time you'll actually find a husband, Sona."
The room froze.
Sona flushed instantly. Red rising through her cheeks, caught somewhere between anger, embarrassment, and genuine confusion.
And I… I froze.
Oh.
Oh.
Fuck.
Understanding hit me all at once. The inside joke about the heiress and chess. The reason why so many of the older generation played against her when she had only invited the other heirs. The reason the hall felt suddenly… sharp.
I wondered why the Satan Leviathan was glaring daggers at the back of my neck. I thought she was just upset because I was better than her precious sister.
I had fucked up.
My mind raced. Swallowing the curse that wanted to come out, I deliberately chose safer lines. Every move offered her opportunities disguised as mistakes.
I threw the game.
Carefully. At least enough that most people wouldn't notice. All but Sona.
Her eyes flicked to me more than once, searching for something. Doubt crept into her movements. She hesitated, second-guessing her moves as if everything I was making was planned.
She wasn't wrong, but I didn't want what she thought I did.
In the end, she won.
She leaned back, a sigh leaving her nose, relief written plainly across her face before she could mask it. Around us, the tension broke.
And the very powerful devil stopped glaring in my direction.
Sona reached for the board. "I'd like to review…"
I waved my hand as my demonic power flowed through the pieces.
The chess set sputtered softly, turning it off. "The ball has begun, Lady Sona," I reminded her gently. "Your parents are waiting."
Sona stiffened before glancing toward the head of the hall.
Lord and Lady Sitri were watching her, frowns clear on their expression. Serafall sat beside them, giggling openly, her eyes shining with amusement. But I could see past it, and the interest she suddenly had in me.
"…Very well," she sighed, cupping my gift as if it meant the world to her.
As I rose and returned toward my seat, I felt something I didn't know if I liked.
Her gaze.
Her narrowed gaze. A thoughtful look that showed she was unconvinced of her victory.
She suspected something. She couldn't prove it… at least until she used my gift to review the game.
But… perhaps this was the best path forward. Keep her interested in me.
At least she'd make this fun.
As I returned to my seat, Sairaorg was shaking his head in interest.
"You threw that, Dante," he said, barely above a whisper.
He didn't wait for me to answer.
"Don't deny it. I could sense your emotions at that moment."
I considered not answering, then decided he gained nothing by making me an enemy.
"You aren't as dumb as you like to act," I smirked, "I wonder what the other heirs would think if they knew that."
He laughed loudly, smacking my back with more force than necessary.
"If you want some advice, my friend," he chuckled, "You will find out that devils can be pretty stupid, the young ones more than most."
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