Disclaimer: All characters depicted in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Any sexual content involves only consenting adults. This is a work of fiction.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 60: Welcome Back.
Dante Andromalius.
The underworld.
There was something uniquely beautiful about the simple, yet almost overpowering love that my parents felt for me.
Both of them, even as strained as my father and I were. Not to say it was bad. But one couldn’t deny that he had some trouble coming to terms with how things had changed ever since he was cursed.
I knew better than most how difficult it was to change for a long-lived species. As... long-lived as these devils were, they still suffered from it. It was why it always surprised me how much I kept changing in such a short amount of time.
Hadrian Andromalius was hardheaded, idiotic, and had more pride than someone like him should have. At the same time, he was a loving parent. He was a protector who would lay down his life if it meant Celestine and me survived.
The problem was that he would still put himself in danger when I was more capable to face it just because it was his duty.
Hugging him, I felt him pat my back with a bit more force than necessary, and I lifted my eyebrow in his direction.
He had a dumb grin on his face as he sent a secretive look the mutants' way.
Like I said, idiotic.
I couldn’t help smiling back at him even as I shook my head.
“Welcome back, son. You’ve been sorely missed,” he said with a hint of disapproval.
Not much, but I understood where he was coming from.
He didn’t like how much I kept disappearing, nor for how long I did. For him, whose dreams had been to return the Andromalius name to where it belonged, seeing me act so uncaringly was a tough pill to swallow.
Not that he had any right to complain. I trusted him, Mother, Nyra, and Misla to keep things in motion. And they had been doing a fantastic job.
And I had already expected something like this to happen, even if it did so sooner than anticipated.
“It’s good to be back,” I nodded. “We’re staying for a while as I try to fix a situation with Jean and listen to all the whiny idiots complain.”
“Is there something wrong with her?” Celestine asked worriedly as she hugged Jean once more.
She had already claimed her.
I ignored the pleading look from the redhead as Rogue snorted in disbelief. Her thoughts were not particularly kind as she compared Celestine to what she knew of me.
Of course I came out of Celestine, dumbass.
Maybe I should spank her.
Seeing my gaze on her, she shuddered for a moment, blushed, and glared angrily at my light.
I wondered what Tandy told her back in New York to have her act this way. I could find out, obviously, but it was adorably funny seeing the usually spunky mutant act like a maiden.
“They are nobles, Dante,” Hadrian sighed. “This could complicate matters for you and your lordship. The Phenexes are not a kind family, even if they support the new Satans.”
He looked as if he was remembering the beatdown he received.
Misla entered the room quietly, wincing at what my father had said. She looked guilty, but not regretful.
I nodded in her direction to show I wasn’t going to gift-wrap her and send her to Lord Bael’s side.
“You are forgetting one thing, Father,” I smiled at him kindly.
He looked at me curiously.
“They are weak,” I shrugged uncaringly. “If they want to make a mess out of this, they would have to bring their heir to the table. And from what I know, he doesn’t particularly like his younger brother’s actions.”
Hadrian opened his mouth, but I raised my hand.
“And if they want to cause problems to use in other ways, like our gold?” I smiled sharply. “Maybe I could stop having Tandy hold back and sink their family to the ground. What do you think, Misla? Could you handle it if I absorbed their territory? Or will I have to sleep with one eye open in case any of you four try to smother me in my sleep?”
Tandy snorted loudly at the gaping looks the adults sent my way, smirking almost viciously as she nodded in approval. She knew she could do so much better than our neighbors, even if it would take time. They truly couldn’t compete with my light in terms of quantity or even quality, having enjoyed the fact that they were the only family who could make healing anyone of the Underworld could use.
Tandy, though? She would open a hospital and visit a couple of hours a day just to fuck with them. She was petty enough, and she truly, unconditionally, loved my parents to the point where she wouldn’t mind playing the healer for some time.
Hm. I ignored Misla’s look for the time being.
“Anyways, did they already call for a meeting, or are they still thinking about it? Also, did Nyra organize the meeting with Azazel?” I asked curiously.
Misla tittered behind her hand. “That’s why I’m here, my dear.”
“And here I thought you just missed me,” I sighed, smirking at Sai’s mother.
“That, too, I suppose,” she fanned her face before she broke into a more genuine smile. “Lord Lucifer's letter finally arrived at my office some hours ago. A council meeting was called, and your presence has been requested.”
I hummed, looking around the room.
“Give it to me later,” I smiled. “I’m dying to eat something Mother cooked.”
The force of a million suns bloomed on Celestine's face at my words, and that totally made all the teasing that would come from the trio of girls worth it.
Tandy just smiled approvingly, while Rogue and Jean gaped in my direction.
Celestine jumped away from the redhead and linked her arm with mine.
“That’s right,” she nodded proudly. “My baby boy has been away for too long. I can almost see his ribs already.”
Oh boy. I was in for a ride.
I wouldn’t complain. Caressing her hand, I kissed her brow before tilting my head toward the door.
I’m not going through with this alone. You're all coming with me, I deadpanned to the girls through their minds.
Their laughter followed us all the way to the Great Hall.
Only for horrified expressions to appear on their faces as Celestine began to pull enough food from the fridge and counters to feed a fucking battalion.
By the One Above All. The things I put myself through for her.
Later.
It was official. Somehow, the pair of mutants looked at Celestine with more fear in their eyes than when they looked at me.
I was losing my touch.
I swallowed the burp that threatened to come out. Despite my strength, she had been a worthy opponent.
The empty plates and almost ruined kitchen were proof of the slaughter. But I wouldn't be brought down like this.
Celestine hadn’t stopped smiling.
It was a good thing she wasn’t that good at sensing magic, because she would have noticed how hard I cheated to process the food faster.
Tandy had a smile that matched Celestine's as she grinned at the pair of mutants.
“So, was I right, or was I right?” She looked horribly proud of herself.
She stood up, walked behind my mother, and hugged the stuffing out of her.
Mother’s face went a bit green, having also eaten too much, but Tandy just giggled, kissed her cheek, and let her go.
“It was better than the robots at Xavier's.” Rogue was watching my mother in wonder. “Your food was delicious, Mrs. Andromalius. Thank you for welcoming us this way.”
“Oh, none of that, my dear,” Celestine looked to the side with a flush, but she couldn’t hide how pleased she was. “It was my pleasure. And drop the formality. We’re family here! If my baby boy decided to bring you here, that’s all that matters to me.”
Another critical hit. Rogue didn’t know how to answer and just smiled shyly and finished cleaning her plate from the remnants.
“And what about you, deary? Did you like it?” Mother’s full attention was on the redhead.
“Dear,” Hadrian sighed, looking bloated despite eating the least out of all of us.
It was still more food than needed to feed four adult devils.
“Let the lass breathe, she looks ten pounds heavier.”
The death glare he received made me wonder if I should grab his soul before it was snuffed like a candle, but Celestine just breathed heavily through her nostrils and ignored him completely.
“Don’t listen to him, Jean,” she continued, acting as if everyone at the table hadn’t just heard the kick to the shin Hadrian received. “His father didn’t teach him better than to say things like that. I apologize, by the way.”
Jean chuckled amusedly, waving them both off, but a hint of curiosity entered her eyes.
“Oh, whatever for, Celestine?” she asked casually. “It was all wonderful, as Rogue said.”
“Oh no, I know it was good,” Celestine rolled her eyes proudly.
I snorted into my drink. When had she grown this... this... I didn’t even know what to call it.
But as long as she was happy, I didn’t care. They both deserved all that and more.
“No, I wanted to apologize because Hadrian taught Dante a lot of what he knows. In advance, you know? I know he can be a bit too much to handle,” she shook her head sadly. “If he ever oversteps with any of you, let me know, and I’ll send him to sleep with a red bum.”
I dragged my hand down my face as the girls laughed amusedly.
This woman had no decorum at all. I loved it.
Celestine finally stood up to grab the dirty plates, but the door opened. And someone entered... someone whom I didn't expect to see here at this time.
Or in the Underworld at all.
And what in my unholy name was she wearing?
Akeno’s eyes met mine as she walked past Celestine without a word and began lifting the plates.
“It’s wonderful seeing you once more, Master.” She smiled primly after picking everything up, acting as if she wasn't dressed in a way that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
She wasn't even wearing underwear.
I suddenly understood why Hadrian found the ceiling so fucking interesting, the exact second the door opened. I also wouldn't like to be in Celestine's wrong side.
Celestine sighed, looking amused despite everything.
Akeno’s eyes were smoldering with intensity as she continued working in silence. She took the dirty plates into the kitchen and activated a spell to clean them before walking back toward the table and taking a place right behind me.
And she started massaging my shoulders.
My lips twitched for a moment as Tandy gaped at our friend.
“What in the world are you doing here, Akeno?! Should I expect Rias to enter in a bit, or is it only you?”
“I’m merely doing my duty, Mistress,” Akeno replied calmly, her hands never leaving my shoulders.
She was fucking good at it, too. That made it even funnier.
Tandy raised her eyebrow, waiting for more.
But no answer came.
“Oh, come on, you slut. Start talking,” Tandy groaned in disbelief.
Despite not being able to see Akeno, I could feel how her lips twitched and the victorious glance she threw my light’s way.
“A maid should be seen, not heard, Mistress. You taught me that in the dungeon.” Akeno tutted, then fell silent.
The horrified looks the mutants threw Tandy’s way almost made me chuckle. It didn’t help that their gazes had a hint of respect behind all the disbelief. And just a healthy dose of fear.
Akeno kept that silence for barely ten seconds before she couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing.
“Heya, Tandy,” Akeno finally said after a moment of almost doubling over, walking around the chair, and hugging my light. “Lovely to see you, truly.”
“Do I want to know?” I asked Celestine after a moment.
She just sighed even harder, looking at Akeno with surprising fondness, but also some pity.
She had already clocked how broken the devil truly was and how she dealt with it. But that didn’t tell me much about how long Akeno had been working here in my castle.
Mother could be really observant at times, hiding behind her sometimes-airheaded acts.
So, as the best mother in the world, she did everything in her power to answer my query as well as she could.
By shrugging her fucking shoulders.
I looked at Hadrian, hoping he would be more useful, but he was still too busy examining the chandelier.
“You’re all useless,” I rolled my eyes and decided to get it over with.
Snapping my fingers, a magical wind lifted Akeno from her place and deposited her directly onto my lap. My hands snuck around her stomach and began weaving feather-like touches across her skin.
“What exactly are you doing here, Akeno?” I asked, barely murmuring next to her ear. “Did last time leave you wanting more? Did you finally realize that I can give you what your king can’t?”
Tandy looked a bit surprised by my words, but I didn’t pay any attention to her.
I only enjoyed the way Akeno shivered on top of me. The tiny smile that grew on her face before it was quickly replaced by a saucy smirk was the most genuine expression I had seen slip past her walls in a while.
“You’re a lost cause, my dear,” I rolled my eyes in amusement. “So, what exactly are you doing here? Where’s Rias, for that matter?”
“Busy,” she shrugged on top of me, grinding her barely covered ass against my pants for a moment before closing her eyes. “And I’m here to pay for all the inconvenience my king created, even if it wasn't planned.”
“Oh?” I pinched her hip.
Akeno bit her lip, and I could feel the eyes of all the women in the group zero in on us. Tandy was amused. Rogue and Jean showed exactly how human they were as they sent deeply worried glances my light’s way, acting as if Tandy wasn't a horny gremlin currently wondering how much she could push Akeno’s buttons now that she was supposedly here as our maid.
Celestine just had an expression that screamed, ‘Just get this over with.’
Hadrian still wasn’t looking.
“As you know, it was because of Rias. If Riser hadn't heard about her training with Sai and that she was so close to their territory, he wouldn’t have appeared. She mocked him, comparing him to you, and that’s why he exploded, calling you all those vile things,” she shrugged, looking more amused than sorry. “And as you heard, that’s what incensed Sai.”
She bit her lip at the memory.
“So I heard,” I nodded, resting my chin in the crook of her neck. “And you’re paying us with service, then? Did Rias put you into this?”
“Of course she did,” she rolled her eyes.
She hadn’t.
My eyes focused on her soul as I read her true intentions.
And what I found was exactly what I expected from knowing the pair, but it was interesting, nonetheless.
Akeno was here because she wanted to. The fact that it 'helped' Rias was just the cherry on top.
Akeno’s soul was beautiful in a broken way. She was bright, she was loud in her silence, and she felt for everyone in a way few people did. The burdens of her birth shaped who she was, and it showed.
Those cracks in her soul were the most beautiful part of her, hands down. The pure effort and will she exerted to mask them, refusing to ask for help because she didn’t see herself as worthy of it.
Her reasons were true. Rias felt absurdly bad about giving the Phenex the opportunity to strike, even if she hadn’t done anything wrong and just made it happen faster than it inevitably would have.
Everyone knew that they were waiting for the opportunity to present itself.
So, Akeno offered to take the blame. And as her king, best friend, and the closest person Akeno had in the world, Rias saw right through her as easily as breathing.
Rias saw through all of Akeno’s bullshit, knowing that she was having fun ‘paying’ for the mistake.
And she hadn't wanted her here because she knew Akeno would use this to get ahead in their little race.
I, in her mind, was someone who could give her everything she believed that she wanted.
It wasn’t cute, or something someone her age should want for herself, but it was what she wanted, and what no one else had provided.
In her own twisted way, she was showing that she missed this.
“Hm,” I hummed uncaringly, only making her shiver even harder when she thought I truly didn’t care about her words. “I suppose I can appreciate the effort your king is putting in. What do you think, my light?”
“Our personal maid.” Tandy bit her lip in mock thought, her eyes crinkling. “I can see the appeal, but I don’t know, baby.”
“Oh?” I raised my eyebrow at her as I tightened my hold around Akeno, who almost jumped out of my lap.
She was panicking and thinking of ways to convince Tandy.
“I was thinking.” I could feel the dark amusement bleeding through our connection as she continued. “If Rias truly felt bad, she should have gifted this one to the Phenex instead of us. I feel somewhat offended that she sent someone our way with no training, as if that would forgive her mistakes.”
Akeno panted against my chest.
“Don’t you think so, Mother?” Tandy giggled. “I believe we could find any other devil that would be more trained than this slut. If we wanted just that, we could find someone like Akeno in any brothel in the Underworld.”
“Okay, enough! What is going on with you two?!” Jean smacked her hands against the table.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, looked at the incensed redhead as her psionic energy literally caved in the table.
So she finally snapped.
Akeno got her breathing under control before turning to smile at Jean.
“Sorry about that,” she shook her head. “I can guess how this must look from the outside.”
Jean’s eyes, which were in the process of turning white, lost their shine for a moment before her power fell back under control. She just stared at Akeno in pure confusion.
“My name is Akeno Himejima, and I’m their friend,” Akeno explained with a small, genuine smile.
“Friends shouldn’t treat someone like that!” Jean almost lost control once more.
Celestine's worried gaze told me she had noticed the problem with Jean by this point.
Yes, I was pushing things for this very reason, too. Jean was too easily affected by the Phoenix. Making her lose her composure in a safe environment was the best way to get her used to the amplified emotions currently raging inside her head.
“She’s for real?” Akeno looked at Tandy in surprise even as she laughed in disbelief.
“Yes,” Rogue responded instead. “Jean is a prude.”
Jean gaped at Rogue in confusion.
The goth just rolled her eyes. “Jean, that’s her kink. Anyone could see that she was getting off on the words alone.”
Akeno tittered darkly as she nodded unashamedly. “Am I that easy to read? Or why else would you notice it that fast? I have a feeling we're going to become very good friends.”
Rogue laughed awkwardly under Akeno’s predatory gaze. “You can call me Rogue.”
Akeno opened her mouth to respond, but once more, the doors opened with a bang.
Nyra stomped into the room, clutching a thick stack of papers in her hands as she muttered darkly to herself.
"I swear to Lucifer I will teleport Sai into that idiotic lord's territory the next time he even thinks of threatening us. And Behe was right, working for overpowered idiots is the most rewardingly stressful life in the world."
Her angry muttering died the exact second she looked up.
Her eyes locked onto me. Then they dropped directly to Akeno, who was still seated on my lap like a cat.
The vixen obviously smirked victoriously at the older devil.
Nyra's face went completely blank.
Then, I could practically hear the bones in her neck creak as she slowly turned her head to the side, locking her wide eyes onto Jean and Rogue.
Two new, absurdly beautiful girls she hadn’t heard anything about.
Was it a surprise that she reacted that way?
"No! Absolutely fucking not!" she shrieked, her papers turning into cinders as her hands lit up from sheer anger alone. "I called dibs! I explicitly called dibs on that ass before you left!"
...I couldn’t say it was the first time in my very old life hearing those words, but somehow, someway, I felt a cold gust of wind on my lower back. I didn’t like that manic look that grew in her eyes.
Celestine gasped in delight, because of course she would. Hadrian disappeared as his teleportation circle activated right under his chair. He didn’t do more than send a commiserating look my way before he vanished.
It would have meant more if he hadn’t had a gloating smirk on his face.
Akeno just giggled, pressing herself a bit closer to my chest just to rub it in.
"I have been working my ass off for you!" Nyra marched toward the table, pointing an accusing finger at me. "I have been dealing with more idiots than humans meet in their entire lifetimes in mere months, I have been managing all your gold, and I have been negotiating with the Satans! I told you I was done waiting the last time we spoke! Now you bring two new girls home, and the Gremory slut is jumping the damn line?!"
"Are you jealous, Nyra?" I grinned, enjoying her explosion way too much. "There is plenty of me to go around, you know. I’m sure Tandy has let you know."
"That is not the point, you arrogant bastard!" Her voice cracked slightly, the exhaustion and stress of running my territory finally bleeding through her anger. Her shoulders slumped, and a hint of genuine sadness flashed in her eyes. "I just wanted... I earned my spot."
I sighed softly. This had gone past the point where teasing would be appreciated.
I gently lifted Akeno off my lap and stood up, closing the distance between Nyra and me in a single step. Before she could complain or yell again, I cupped her cheek and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
She tensed adorably before pushing herself into my chest.
Now I could tease her just a bit. My hand tightened around her shoulder, keeping her lips a hair’s breadth from mine.
"Thank you for the hard work, Nyra," I murmured against her lips, pulling back just enough to look at her wide eyes. "I knew I could trust you with everything while I was gone. You did perfectly. You totally earned your reward."
For a two-hundred-year-old devil, she suddenly acted like a woman a tenth her age. A furious blush spread across her cheeks and down her neck. Was this the same woman who was just screaming about my ass?
Heh.
She stammered in embarrassment, let out a breathless laugh only to glare at me angrily, and then tried to hide her face behind her hands all at the exact same time.
Tandy giggled amusedly from her seat.
"You... you can't just do that! It’s not fucking fair," Nyra mumbled from behind her hands, completely flustered.
"I can do whatever I want," I scoffed, snapping my fingers. “Now, what has you this stressed, my dear?”
Nyra took a deep breath, visibly forcing her professional mask back into place, even if her cheeks were still bright red.
It looked so damn good against her pale complexion. I looked at her, then at Rogue, who met my eyes.
I nodded fucking proudly. Goths ruled.
"Yes. There is something incredibly important you need to know," she said seriously.
I nodded. "Then we can show the girls the castle. Come on, Akeno will take you to your rooms after this."
“Will you really treat me like a maid?” Akeno looked visibly excited at that.
“Maids should be seen, not heard,” I said absentmindedly, then ignored her.
Jean looked at Akeno’s whole-body shiver for a moment before stepping away from the devil.
Ten minutes later, we were all gathered inside my solar.
I walked over to my desk and flared my demonic power to activate the wards that Ajuka had personally installed. I looked over at Jean, who was sitting on one of the leather couches next to Rogue and Tandy.
She closed her eyes for a brief second and simply nodded.
Akeno was following my words to the letter as she stood behind my seat in silence.
"Alright, Nyra. Tell me," I sat behind my desk and motioned for her to speak.
"I just came back from a meeting with Lady Leviathan," Nyra began, dropping her professional act and sitting directly on the edge of the desk. "The official meeting with Azazel's side was finalized. You have a week, if nothing goes wrong. Things have been heating up between the Fallen."
"A week," I mused. "That will be after my council meeting. What's the problem?"
"The problem is Serafall," Nyra sighed, looking stressed beyond belief. "She... well, she does not have the best opinion of you, Dante. She doesn’t trust you’ll be on your best behavior."
Tandy snorted, and even Jean and Rogue chuckled knowingly.
"Why ever not?" I asked sarcastically. "If you look up 'saint' on the internet, you’ll find my photos."
"Yeah, from the Asian books Rias likes to read," Nyra shot back without missing a beat.
Akeno cackled from her place.
Hm... she needed some training. Akeno shuddered at my glance.
"I know exactly how much of an asshole you can be. And so does she, because of how much of an asshole you have been to her. She hates your guts like no one else... did I send you the photo of the latest villain in her show?"
Did she know how hilarious she was for picking those specific words when she spoke about Serafall? Heh. Ass.
She could act as angry as she wanted. I knew she loved that video.
I shook my head even as I wanted to cackle as madly as Akeno did.
Nyra leaned forward, her expression entirely serious.
"Lady Leviathan knows Azazel. She deals with him the most out of all the Satans, obviously. In her words, he is completely unpredictable, obsessed with everything he doesn’t understand, and loves to poke things he shouldn’t just to see what happens."
“And?” I asked, genuinely confused.
Nyra looked at Tandy, who sighed amusedly.
Nyra continued. “She’s worried that you’ll either start a war against their faction because fuck everyone else... of course.”
She paused, looking at me with pure dread.
"...Or worse, you two realize how similar you are and become best friends."
I blinked in disbelief. I looked at her for a long moment. I wasn't that bad... was I?
"Shouldn't the war be the worst option?" I asked, genuinely confused.
Nyra stared at me. She gave me the flattest, most deadpan expression I had ever seen from her.
Then, she turned her body completely away from me. She plastered a bright, polite, and charming smile on her face as she looked toward the couches.
"Anyways, we haven’t been properly introduced, right?" Nyra greeted Jean and Rogue warmly, totally ignoring my question. "I am Nyra. It is a pleasure to meet you. Please forget about my breakdown in the hall... I ate something that didn’t agree with me."
And now it was my turn to deadpan at the idiot.