Dungeons and Devils 2 (Chapter 17) (Patreon)

I am sat across from a red haired woman and a regal looking man with blonde hair. He looks absolutely dead inside.

Nearby Riser kneels on the floor, his head down.

A moment later a woman with snow white hair makes her appearance, she struts into the room her eyes locking onto Yukari as she takes a seat on the other side of the table, casting a pointed glare at the kneeling Riser.

On my side, Yukari is sat to my left and Serafall is sat on my right.

"So. We are all here." Yukari smiles.

"It appears we are." The woman frowns.

"Today, the devil race kidnapped the only male kitsune of the entire youkai faction. Even more upsetting, is the fact that the one who did it did so with the intention to torture and potentially kill him."

"Yes, this was a large misstep of the devil race." Grayfia agrees with a slow nod.

"In addition, he was taken from my territory." Serafall growls. "When I had made it very clear that I didn't appreciate Riser being there. Nor did I give him any form of permission to be there."

"If we give you the young Phenex to do as you wish with, will you make all this go away?" Grayfia asks suddenly with a raised eyebrow.

The blonde man to her left lowers his head. "This is a massive misstep by not only Riser, but the entire Phenex family... my boy is foolish, arrogant, prideful, and impulsive... to do something of such magnitude to the Youkai race... I knew where his reputation- and to an extent, my own- would go after I allowed him to use my peerage... I had hoped that he would learn from this and become more mature... not do something so foolish that it could threaten the rest of the family."

He lets out a quiet sigh. "Yes... there seems to merely be one option. But... Riser is just a boy, I beg you. If you are going to kill someone this day, let it be me."

"F-Father?!" The person who caused all this in the first place gasps, only to be silenced by Grayfia's and Serafall's pointed glares.

"Hn. You are correct in saying that this sort of misstep extends to the entire Phenex family." Yukari observes quietly. "The ant for doing said action... and to you, his parent for not teaching him any better."

"But my son was... trying to target someone else. He unintentionally kidnapped the kitsune." The Phenex tries, apparently seeing the error in his earlier words, only for Grayfia to sigh, apparently seeing just what is wrong with trying to play this off as if it was unintentional."

"I'm going to stop you right there." I smile as my form ripples, suddenly my brown hair turns white, an eyepatch appears on my face, my right forearm transforms into a black robotic prosthetic, the joints whirl as I casually rotate my wrist.

"I am Nagure Kuraudo. Argo Duke Nauru does not exist. It is merely a form I use as a buffer between myself... my true self, and the only male kitsune." I state with a calm smile as I reach up and pluck my eyepatch off, rubbing the skin underneath as I let out a quiet sigh.

I open my eye as a dull ticking noise beings to permeate throughout the room, giving Riser's father a half lidded stare. I watch both the girl version of Sirzechs and Grayfia stiffen slightly. "Your son wanted to capture me. The real me. The me I keep hidden because I don't want anyone getting any ideas about targeting the male kitsune."

*Tic* *Tic* *Tic* *Tic*

"And I don't' much appreciate it when people come for my life."

The ticking increases in speed as I stare into the eyes of the lord of the Phenex household.

I tap my temple with a mechanical finger, casting a localized silence spell to mute my eyeball.

Fucking annoying that I have to do that, but oh well.

"So, you think that the Phenex family should be erased today?" Yukari questions with a small frown, I can see her eyes drawn to my right eye.

"Pfft- no." I snort with a slight eye roll.

"It's not like I was in any real danger. I could have easily fought my way out of there if needed. I doubt even the full extent of Lord Phenex's peerage at the same time could buy more than a minute of time against me if the showing of his bishop and knight were the average power of his peerage."

I sigh and shake my head. "I'd rather not punch down to the poor, weak, devil family so brutally. After all, with a son like Riser, it's more than likely they'll piss off someone else and get utterly erased. Why have the Youkai faction dirty their hands? Besides, when people die, they stop suffering. I want him to feel the full consequences of everything he has wrought. Someone who borrowed pieces from someone with decades more experience, still nearly lost with said pieces and had to resort to cheating, and THEN causes the underworld's greatest political shitstorm since the Nekoshou incident."

The blond in question grits his teeth and glares at his legs.

"Pfft- he's never going to hear the end of it." I hum.

A smirk worms its way onto the face of Yukari as she lets out an agreeing hum. "Indeed."

"That being said. There is no way we can simply allow this threat to go completely unpunished." I start with a shark-like grin.

"Oh, absolutely not." The woman to my left states as she shakes her head lightly before glaring pointedly at the Phenex lord and the two satans. "The mere question is, what is it that you will offer for all of this to go away?"

"The Youkai faction is no joke." I agree. "To think that a devil would stir up even more drama mere years after whipping the youkai races into a frenzy."

"Utterly foolish and suicidal." Yukari agrees. "Something which could have possibly forced my hand in erasing a few of the noble devil clans in retaliation if you had gotten hurt."

"I... what is it that you want for this slight?" Lord Phenex questions. "Money?"

"Servants?" He continues seeing no real reaction from myself except boredom. "W-Weapons?"

"That does intrigue me." I nod slowly. "However, unless you've got something that is comparable to this... I am not interested."

With a flash a sheathed katana appears in my hand.

Seras' eyebrows raise and Grayfia gives it a slow blink, Lord Phenex pauses as Riser freezes and rapidly pales, the subtle holy aura of the sword not going unnoticed.

"That's right. You were fucking with someone who wields Mikazuki Munechika... and not only that, but I also wield it well."

"Is your life flashing before your eyes yet?" I question the kneeling devil with an idle smile.

The blade disappears back into my spatial storage. "Basically, I'm asking for weapons that are shrouded in legend."

"Weapons of that quality are hard to come by." Grayfia observes as she frowns to Seras and looks back over to me. She seems to wrack her brain for what the devil race can offer us that primarily comes from the Phenex house. After all, it was their fuckup, why should the rest of the underworld pay for it?

She seems to notice my growing boredom and sudden disinterest I gain from the words 'hard to come by' so she tries something drastic. "Would you accept having Riser as your servant?"

"Wh-" the Phenex lord begins, only to be cut off with a glare from Grayfia.

"Ohoho absolutely not. You're just planning on pawning that massive fuckup off to me!"

"I don't think Rias would appreciate having Riser live in Kuoh. I also would not appreciate him being there. Thus, I'm putting my foot down." Serafall cuts in.

"Then perhaps his younger sister? Ravel?"

"Lady Leviathan that is perhaps a little-" Lord Phenex begins only to be silenced by the white-haired woman's gaze.

"This is your family's fault we were placed into this position yet again." Grayfia hisses. "A good portion of the underworld wouldn't so much as blink if we ordered for your entire bloodline's execution to appease the Gap Youkai. We lost three pure blooded clans the last time she was angered."

The corners of Yukari's mouth turn upwards.

"What would the point be of me having her as a servant? What benefit would I even gain from that?" I question with a slight frown.

Grayfia seems to be happy that I am showing at least moderate interest in something instead of the bored apathy that would have gotten the scary lady to my right to rip the entire Phoenix tear business out from its roots.

"I have heard that she is quite mature, intelligent and one of the most beautiful among the devils of this generation."

"Mhm?" I hum with a flat stare.

"She is also aware of how to make Phoenix tears. One of the greatest medicines that is available to all races."

"Can it regrow hands?" I question idly, already knowing the answer, noting how the woman's gaze shifts slightly, unease being transmitted through her aura much to my hidden amusement.

"No..."

"Not really intriguing me, then." I honestly state. "Besides, what's the point of knowing how to do it? There's a reason why Phoenix tears are so scarce and expensive. She would never have the supplies required, and well, it'd be pointless."

"What if we were to give you in addition to Ravel Phenex as a servant, ten percent of the supplies the Phenex family accrues for Phenex tears per month?"

Yukari covers my mouth before I can say anything. "Intriguing. Go on?"

**Linebreak**

"Well, that was boring and a complete waste of my time." I scoff as I quietly clean a sword.

"Oh? But the youkai faction secured one of the most potent healing methods in the supernatural I wouldn't call that a waste of time." Yukari hums from beside me.

Mittelt is on my other side, rubbing her face on my cheek as Neo sits above me on the back of the couch, my head between her legs as she reaches down and pets the top of my head.

"Didn't you also Accomplish your goal of freeing Rias?" My girlfriend questions.

"No, she actually had it all figured out by the time I got there. Sort of unexpected, but alas maybe the weeb is smarter than I give her credit for." I sigh as I shake my head.

"And that is... bad?" The blonde mutters.

"Well, no, but I went there fully expecting to fight some decently strong people... I have all this power, but I never use it. The closest I have come to going 'all out' would be sparring with Koneko... and even that never really pushed me."

"They've really gotten stronger from what I can tell." Mittelt supplies.

"Yeah." I nod quietly. "Perhaps I have a greater knack for training people than I realized... and speaking of which"

My gaze slides to Mittelt. "You're next. I'm not going to have someone I care for be weak. That'd make you like... the prime target for the captured loved one trope."

The girl lets out a quiet sigh. "Alright... but I'll warn you... my potential's a little low. I don't see myself becoming even a four winged fallen any time soon."

"Don't say that." I sigh as I look down at the blade in my hands. "You'll do great."'

Secace:
Hardness: 50
Health: 140
Weight: 2.5 Lbs
Damage: 4d10+20+Str*2
Crit Range: 19-20 (x2)
Weapon of the fallen knight: Deals an additional 6d6 damage to the target with each successful swing, however, conversely, you take 2d6 recoil damage upon each hit.

I frown down at the blade. "Ugh. I wanted to force the Phenex family to give me another sword. But all I got instead was a slave."

"Pardon?" Mittelt questions, eyes straying to the side of my head.

"You have two weapons of legend already, Mikazuki Munechika and Secace. One for each hand, Isn't that enough for you?"

"Wait nonono go back to the slave thing, what do you mea-" Mittelt cuts in only to be ignored.

"It would if I couldn't wield swords in my tails." I reply to the Gap youkai with a half lidded stare. "I've basically got six more arms that need weapons."

"Six?" The woman frowns.

"Six?" Mittelt echoes.

Neo tilts her head.

"…"

The woman leans over grasping me tightly and pressing the side of my head against her chest as she stares into my eyes. "There's quite a lot you haven't been telling me recently. Na-gu-re~"

Her gaze strays to my covered right eye. "Firstly... this thing... replacing your damaged eye. I believe that the sheer magic radiating off of this should have tipped you off that this is something you should have informed me of."

"Wait... what happened to your eye?!" Mittelt exclaims.

Neo tilts her head yet again, having not been a part of the meeting between myself, the Satans, Yukari and Serafall.

"Probably." I mutely nod to Yukari's question.

"And now you have claiming you have six tails?" She presses.

A spike of Ki enters my body, causing my ears and tails to appear with a flash.

Her eyes stray the swaying appendages seemingly counting them all in a moment.

A smile crosses Neo's face as she grabs two of them that stray too close and hugs them.

"Six..." She mutters to herself. "I could have sworn that not even a week ago you merely had four. How did you grow two tails in a matter of days?"

"S-Six tails?!" Mittelt whispers. "D-Doesn't that make you a high class Youkai?!"

"It does." Yukari nods.

"They both sort of came in only minutes apart earlier today?" I weakly struggle in the elder woman's grip.

"hn. Today was quite chaotic. I will forgive you for the tails... but not the eye. We do not know what form of effect it could be having on you even as of this moment."

"I... uh... do..." I announce.

The woman blinks. "You... what?"

"What is wrong with his eye in the first place! You still haven't told me!" Mittelt growls.

Neo nods in agreement.

Yukari reaches up and plucks off my eyepatch.

*Tic* *Tic* *Tic* *Tic*

I look over to Mittelt, then to Neo.

"Wh... your eye..." The girl whispers.

Neo's eyes widen as a bright smile crosses her face.

She points at me with both hands then points to her own eyes, proclaiming that now we are 'Heterochromia buddies'.

Mittelt reaches up slowly rubbing the line underneath my eye. "Has... it always been like this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It has been like this for about... four weeks now. Before that it was merely just a gross ball of gore. Honestly I sort of forgot about it in all this chaos recently... I keep my eye covered at all times, but maybe I should start leaving the eyepatch off."

"Hn. This is around the time you gained your fourth tail, correct?" Yukari asks as her grip lessens, allowing me to go back to my earlier spot beside Mittelt and beneath Neo.

I nod slowly. "It lets me convert my life force into timey wimey manipulation bullshit."

"How did you figure this out?" The woman questions after a brief moment of pause.

"I may have spent like three years or so to speed up my perception of time for a good... three and a half minutes a while back."

She stares into my eyes.

Eventually she lets out a dramatic sigh. "Tell me... you wanted a fight, correct?"

"The general context of this is slightly scaring me so I'm going to have to say... n-no?" I weakly deny.

"Come now? Don't you want to fight with your dear Yukari-nee?" The woman smiles menacingly.

"Not really?" I whisper.

"Aww... where did all that bravado of yours go?" The youkai asks with an impish grin. "You were walking into the underworld looking for a fight, yes?"

"It's still there, but at the moment I'm spending time with my girlfriend who was scared that I might be hurt by the devils and my other girlfriend who was angry that I might be hurt by the devils." I reply as I cautiously wrap an arm around Mittelt.

Neo slides off the back of the couch and takes the place in between Yukari and myself, nodding once in agreement as I wrap my other arm around her.

"Surely if you were going with such confidence, you had a plan to deal with Seras Lucifer had she decided to kill you?" The woman questions.

"Well, yes." I nod slowly, staring into her eyes as I answer the simplest question Yukari has ever asked. "You."

She lets out a low click, seeing my point, but doesn't say anything, allowing me to continue. "Besides. I'm confident enough in my abilities that I could give someone of the Lucifer's strength a little spook."

"You think that you could give Seras Lucifer a 'spook'?" Mittelt questions with a disbelieving stare.

"Well, I mean, yeah. I'd be forced to use up a bunch of my life force to speed up how I move through time, but I'd probably be able to do something that vaguely concerns her. Maybe even cut her if I'm lucky." I shrug with a nonchalant smile. "Doubtful that I'd severely injure her before getting vaporized, even more so that I'd kill her, but I'd like to think I'd draw blood while wielding Mikazuki Munechika."

"Besides... I TOTALLY unsettled her in the meeting by just like... existing!" I grin mischievously.

"That is to be expected when you have an eye that radiates an aura comparable to a temporal deity." Yukari scoffs under her breath.

Her purple glare bores into the side of my head. "You are lucky that you are indescribably good at hiding your aura, otherwise you'd probably have to deal with a lot more nonsense."

"But really?" I question. "A literal slave?! That's what I get from one of the most wealthy devil families?"

"You are underestimating the true value of a phoenix tear." Yukari frowns. "They have given us an infinite source of that."

"I'm not exactly very cool with keeping a girl that had nothing to do with her brother's actions as an eternal servant. Keeping her for only a single purpose. You could have very easily simply asked that the Phenex family give us twenty percent of their Phoenix tear yield every month." I point out with a half-lidded stare.

"I had thought that with your habits you would enjoy another girl in your harem?" The woman replies as she locks eyes with me meeting my unimpressed stare head on.

"There is a somewhat not so subtle difference between romancing someone who actually loves you for who you are and someone who literally can't say no." I growl.

Neo nods.

"He's Right." Mittelt agrees.

The woman lets out a low click. "I see."

She rises from the couch, seemingly not willing to admit she's wrong. "Tch."

She wordlessly falls through a small gap that appears in the floor.

**Linebreak**

Pov: Elsewhere

A man lifelessly stares down at his hands, sat up in his bed.

"Damn it." He lowly curses.

He failed his only daughter.

The blonde woman laying beside him lets out a quiet sigh as she leans on his shoulder, giving him a comforting hug. "You... did all you could do."

"I didn't." He replies. "There was so much I could have offered... and now Ravel is going to be forced to serve the gap youkai as nothing more than a Phoenix tear factory.

Tears brim the blonde woman's eyes as she smiles. "You... did all that you could. There's nothing you could have done to change her mind once it is set on something... at least she'll be alive."

*Riiip*

The two devils stiffen as a rip in reality forms.

A blond woman leans through the dark hole, multiple eyes around her seem to lock onto the couple. "Ah. Lord Phenex, just the person I was looking for."

The man's hands begin shaking slightly.

A smile crosses the youkai woman's face. "I'd like to make a slight alteration to the deal we have struck."

**Linebreak**

I look up as I sit on the ground, watching devils milling about on the ceiling.

A red haired one's eyes stray over her peerage.

"Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, Issane, Sari... I am so proud of you all."

Wait... I'm the one on the ceiling.

"But... we lost." Issane weakly frowns.

"No." Rias denies with a small head shake. "We didn't. Riser cheated in his match in addition to using his father's knight and bishop. I never expected any of you to fight on that level after a mere two weeks of training... the fact that you not only managed to fight on that level, but would have taken them both out merely proves how talented you all are. Truly. Thank you all for fighting for me."

The red haired girl bows her head slightly. "It... makes me so happy that I have friends that would help me like this... I'm so... so proud of you all."

Sari scratches the back of her head bashfully, Kiba scratches the side of his head with a kind smile, Koneko simply nods, cat ears and tail on full display as she eats a cinnamon roll.

Akeno who was staring at the floor gives Rias a small smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

Issane cups her chin. "Wait... we won? Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something."

The second blonde girl who is leaning on a cardboard box lets out a quiet sigh. "I wish I could have done something to help you Rias."

"No, I don't blame you, Valerie." Rias soothes. "I don't blame you or Gasper."

The box shakes slightly but no voice comes out.

A phone abruptly rings.

"…"

Rias blinks owlishly and pulls a flip phone out of her pocket.

She frowns at the lack of caller Id but decides to pick up anyways, her phone is an underworld model, and not many people know her number.

"Hello?" She mutters. "Who is this?"

A cheeky grin crosses my face as I speak into my own cellphone, my voice not being carried down below.

"The question isn't 'Who am I?' It is... 'were... am I?'" I growl, my voice gruff and slightly inhuman sounding.

The box shudders as the peerage seems to instantly be put on guard.

Rias blinks slowly. "Scream? Really? It's not even close to Halloween."

I say nothing as she lets out a long sigh. "Where are you?"

"Look up."

A beat of silence passes throughout the group as they all look upwards, spying me sat upside down on the ceiling.

"Hiya Rias."

""Argo?!""

I fall downwards, flipping once and landing softly on the wooden floor below, the floorboards don't even creak. No sound is produced by my ruffling kimono or my sandals.

I let out a quiet yawn as I close the phone and cause it to disappear with a dull flash of spatial magic. "Sooo hey gang, how's it going?"

A smile crosses the lips of the red haired girl. "Very well... thank you for helping with everything. We probably wouldn't have stood a chance against Riser's normal peerage if you hadn't done something."

"Mn nah. You're being too harsh on yourselves. With fourteen days you might have been able to secure a win... it would have been exceedingly close, though, probably coming down to a fight between you and him." I state with a small head shake.

"So why are you here?" The red head questions. "Surely working for Serafall leaves you with no shortage of work."

"Well, I thought that you would want to know the aftermath of what happened with Riser's big blunder?" I hum with a small shrug.

A glint appears in her eye as a smile crosses her lips. "Oh? That does intrigue me. So what happened to him?"

"Well, first off, he didn't die." I announce with a small shrug.

"Hn. Shame." Rias notes like the little psycho she is.

"That was the decision I made." I explain as I slowly walk over to the nearby couch and take a seat.

I look over to the small white haired neko sitting to my left. "Hey Koneko."

"Hello." She greets back with a small lightly muted smile as I look back to Rias.

"I made this choice, because frankly... people stop suffering after they die. I wanted him to feel the full consequences of his actions. Forevermore he will be known as the Phenex who almost got the underworld into an indescribable mess. Supernatural creatures have a long memory, after all."

Rias smiles viciously. "Oh, I enjoy the way you think. Maybe this will teach that bastard not to treat his future fiancée like an object."

"Pretty bold in assuming he will get a fiancée after his little showing." I scoff with an amused smirk.

Rias brings her hand to her mouth and lets out a quiet snort. "True."

"But anyways, the Phenex family will survive, but it has apparently been decided that their only daughter is going to be my servant?"

"Ravel?" Rias mutters. "That is- Ravel doesn't deserve that."

"Oh, believe me. I know." I agree with a nod. "But Yukari heard 'Phoenix Tears' and 'Seize the means of production' and decided that it would be for the best that the youkai faction got access to someone who could produce Phoenix tears... when we could have simply just asked for the Phenex family to give us tears... sooo that's a slight annoyance I have to deal with now."

I let out a quiet sigh as I look down, my eyes closing as I calm myself.

"So. I've also come for her." I gesture over to the white haired girl sitting beside me with my thumb.

"For Koneko?" Rias mutters.

"I want to continue training her." I explain with a bright smile. "You see... after I finished training you all, I myself had a little... blast of insight."

With a flash my ears appear, six tails lashing out behind me.

"Six tails?!" Rias gasps, a hand brought up to her mouth.

Koneko freezes in place, eyes growing wide, her eyes trailing over my tails, surprise bleeding off her body in waves. "Six?"

As a Nekoshou, she understands the sheer meaning of growing even a single tail.

Two in one day?

Unheard of.

"Yeaaaah. I'm probably going to get to nine in the next couple of years." I hum with a slightly smug look as I prop my elbow on the arm of the couch. "Good genes and all that."

"But, you see, after my little growth in strength, I've improved a couple of my techniques, most of which I had begun teaching to Koneko here. I think it would be nice if I were to continue to teach her."

A smile crosses the cat girl's face as her eyes expectantly trail over to Rias.

"I have no issue with it." She calmly announces, a smile gracing her lips at the fact that Koneko gains a large grin as she hops to her feet.

She grabs my wrist and pulls me up. "Let's go!"

As she drags me across the room I wave at the group over my shoulder.

**Linebreak**

Rias smiles as she watches Koneko pull the kitsune out of the room.

The corners of Akeno's mouth turn upwards at Koneko's excitement, the first true smile she has had since the rating game finished. Using her heritage has weighed on her quite a bit. But...

Wouldn't it be better for her to use her father's heritage then the heritage of the ones who murdered her mother?

She shakes her head from those rage filled thoughts.

"Ara?" She hums. "It seems Koneko has a little crush~"

"Maybe." Rias smiles back at her queen.

Normally she'd act all overprotective, hunt down the person attempting to 'take advantage' of her adorable little servant, but... Argo is... differient...

He legitimately cares about the Nekoshou girl. He dragged her out of her emotionless shell and made her the happiest she had been in a long while.

Wait... Argo said that his name was an anagram...

But for what?

Is he using a fake name?

Hn... that's vaguely suspicious...  His appearance is probably fake as well. But, if you really think about it, it's understandable.

He's the ONLY male kitsune. Someone that is by far the best target for someone looking to strike out at the Youkai faction...

He more than likely is assuming his this form to disguise what he truly looks like.

That is... slightly concerning... considering the fact that they have no idea what he may truly look like, but she'll give him the benefit of the doubt! Besides, he is dropping hints about his true nature. It seems like he won't remain hidden for much longer... at least to Koneko.

He said his name was an anagram, so she must assume that it's an anagram of his true name.

What a pleasant little mystery.

"WAIT! THAT'S RIGHT! YOU SAID THAT YOU'D SHOW ME YOUR BODACIOUS BOOBIES IF WE WON, RIAS!" Issane abruptly shouts.

**Linebreak**

Pov: Outside.

"Your hand... is cold... and hard..." Koneko blankly observes as one of our animalistic ears twitch at Issane's outburst inside the old school building.

"It is." I nod slowly.

"…"

She turns slowly and looks back at me, tilting her head slightly, her golden eyes seem to gleam slightly.

"There's no life force in your arm..." She notes.

"There isn't." I agree slowly.

"Yet you can still move it?" She questions.

"Yep."

She stares silently for a moment before eventually speaking.

"Why?"

I let out a long sigh as I look up to the clear sky. "I'll show you. Come with me."