When the light finally faded and I could see again, I was in a familiar place, the place I had visited three times in the past two days when Ravel wanted to observe the preparations. I looked around where Ravel and I were transported. It was a very spacious corridor. On the wall there were rows of candles that continued to the end. There was a huge portrait of a man with crimson hair.
"The Maou Sirzechs Lucifer-sama." Ravel said, perhaps thinking I did not know. I don't think she realized that I had been in the same room with the guy during the Rating Game where me and Grayfia-sama were doing the announcements for the game. I'll admit, I wasn't as confident as I would have preferred. He had an elegant and powerful presence and I was too nervous to try striking up a conversation. He was a proper and noble Devil unlike my casual and adorable Serafall-sama and I just… Just could not get comfortable.
That was when something occurred to me. "Hey, Ravel."
Ravel looked at me, holding my hand tightly. "Yes?"
"Crazy thought: How come Rias didn't just convince her Onii-sama to call off the wedding? He's one of the four leaders of the Devils, a Maou-sama. Wouldn't something like that have been easy to have done away with?" He's a FREAKING MAOU for Maou's sake! And he clearly cares for his sister. So it just confused me by that point that he couldn't just cancel the wedding. "Aren't Devils creatures of greed and pride,? No offense. I mean, by nature, aren't we supposed to be greedy and prideful beings?"
Ravel stared at me like I was crazy. When she saw that I was confused, she shook her head.
"It doesn't work like that. The Maou-samas do indeed have a lot of power, but it's a matter of politics, not power." Ravel explained. "The Maous can negotiate on our race's behalf with others and can fight in our defense, but they are not allowed to interfere when it comes to matters between other Devil clans. True, Lucifer-sama could use his immense power to forcibly put an end to the wedding, but that would be an abuse of power. If everyone thought that the Maou-samas would interfere in personal matters of other households, they would begins losing their trust in the government and a schism would erupt just like before." A part of me wanted to question what Ravel meant by "just like before", but I preferred to keep the conversation directed in one direction. "Not to mention the Gremory clan would draw the ire of the Phenex clan and their allies, believing that the Maou was showing them favoritism due to their blood ties."
I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking over Ravel's words. "I suppose you have a point. If this were Japan and the government interfered with everybody's lives, nobody would be at ease again since they would always be looking over their shoulders to see if 'Big Brother' is watching."
Ravel raised an eyebrow. "'Big Brother'?"
"It's just a phrase from the human world. It's essentially just a group or organization exercising control over everybody." I explained. I sighed. "Geez. Politics sure is complicated. To be honest, I think I'm glad I'm a servant rather than a High-Class Devil who has to get involved with this stuff. So the Maous really can't do anything about that kind of stuff, huh?"
Ravel shook her head. "The Maou-samas have it even harder since they're held at a higher standard than most Ultimate-Class Devils. They have to obey the will of the Devils. They may have many privileges, but they must honor all commitments. Just like how…" She trailed off.
"Just like how Leviathan-sama had to honor her agreement and give you to me as my servant" was no doubt what Ravel had been intending to say before she cut herself off.
She had an expression like she was having an "open mouth, insert foot" moment. She didn't mean anything bad, but it didn't stop the sharp pain in my heart. Ravel opened her mouth to apologize, but I placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head.
"It's fine… let's just go." Ravel seemed to just go with it. Clearly further discussing the subject would only lead to further unpleasantness that neither of us had to nor wanted to go through.
So we just walked together as if we were a couple and made our way to the giant door at the end of the hallway where we waited fora moment. Then the gigantic door opened. There were huge engravings on the door. Is it a model of some mystical beast…? Well who cares. When I looked inside the door, there were a few Devils who were dressed up and having a good time. People just started arriving, so it was only natural, but I was surprised by how the atmosphere was so pleasant already. Considering these were the arrogant Pure-Blood types, I had fully expected a stuffy and almost suffocating atmosphere.
These kinds of things are similar to the social parties of humans from rich backgrounds, different only due to the reason I described before. Well, I had never been in one though. I thought it was as such by my imagination. I looked at the Devils and tried to find familiar faces, but I couldn't find Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, or Yuuki anywhere. They were probably with Rias. I looked around further to try seeing if anybody I knew from school was there. It would be nice if Sitri-senpai was here. Ruruko too. Anybody really. Just a touch of normality would be nice.
But no. I had resolved myself long ago, knowing full well I shouldn't expect to have such wondrous reunions again.
"Announcing the arrival of Ravel Phenex-sama and her Queen, Uzumaki Ruto-sama!" A man standing by the door announced our arrivals, doing another thing I expected of parties involving nobility. I could feel many eyes glance towards us, sending an unpleasant chill down my spine. I took a breath and straightened my posture. Ravel and I had spent hours planning our entrance to the wedding. At events such as this, we had to look nothing less than our best. I would be a representative of a high-ranking clan, so I would have to be careful how I looked.
That was the major reason I agreed to wear this incredibly insufferable suit. Ravel had demanded that I looked the part of one trained in formalities, but I managed to negotiate. I was allowed to wear my blazer open and got to do away with the tie, but I had to gel back my hair so I had more of a charming bishounen vibe than I had before. Dunno what that meant, but I still looked pretty damned good.
A few minutes after Ravel and I entered, the eyes placed on us gradually wandered to other objects or people that gained their attention.
I let out a sigh. "How tense."
"You did very well, Ruto." Ravel complimented me with a smile. "No one would have guessed that only a few hours ago, I had to have Isabela, Ni, Li, and Xuelan wrestle you to the ground to get you into a proper suit."
"Hey, I—!" Then I processed the way she had spoken as we entered the hall. "Was… Was that a tease? Did you just tease me?" Ravel just kept smiling. "Well-played." I honestly didn't think that Ravel had a teasing side. That was kind of cute.
Ravel was about to speak when something caught her eye. She waved. "Isabela!" She ran forward, dragging me with her as we went to meet several of Riser's servants.
The partially-masked woman smiled and bowed. "Ah. Ravel-sama. Ruto. I'm glad to see you both arrived so early."
""Ruto-oniichan! Ruto-oniichan! You're here!""
"Ile-chan! Nel-chan!" I opened my arms wide as two familiar shapes slammed into me, almost knocking me backwards. Over the past couple of days, the two young twins and I became good friends over the fact my meals always satisfied their desire to eat excessively. They even affectionately called me "Onii-chan". A sad, sentimental part of me thought back to Jack. I shook my head, focusing on the matter at hand. I smiled as I set the two on the ground. "You two look absolutely adorable tonight."
Both girls grinned childishly as I stood upright once more.
"You're also looking stunning Isabela." I said, playfully flirting. Out of everyone I've met at the Phenex household, Isabela was the only one I could think of as a best friend. Ile and Nel were more like little sisters, Ravel was a probationary harem girl, and I either didn't know the others well enough or felt indifference towards them. "Although I'll admit it's a shame I didn't get to see you in a dress tonight."
Isabela crossed her arms, smirking. Apparently her preferred style of clothing had been jackets and pants. "I don't think dresses suit me. With my appearance, can you really picture me in a dress?"
I rubbed underneath my chin, thinking. "Well, it would all depend on what style you're going for. You could go for the 'mysterious beauty' look or maybe—"
"Ahem." Ravel tugged on my sleeve, interrupting my suggestions. She pouted and looked miffed at being left out. "Don't you think it's a little rude to be ignoring your date AND master?" Ravel, you are just too cute sometimes!
"Aha! Yes. Forgive me, Ravel-sama!" I said in a teasing voice.
Ravel blushed from embarrassment, glaring playfully at me. "Maybe I don't want to."
I jerked back as if pierced by an arrow. "Oh no! Please don't be angry with me, Ravel-sama! It hurts every part of my being to receive the anger of my adorable master!" I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her tightly. "Looks like I have to give my adorable master lots and lots of affection to make her feel better!"
"G-Get offa me! It's embarrassing! I don't want your hugs!" Try saying that when you're not smiling, Ravel.
"Ara ara," I froze when I heard a familiar laugh. "If Ruto-kun does something like that in front of me, I may just get jealous."
I turned my head in surprise to see a familiar, laughing Onee-sama dressed like a miko. For a moment, I was in shock.
Then a big grin split my face. "Akeno-san!"
"Ufufu. Good to see my adorable Kouhai hasn't forgotten me!" Akeno-san teased, placing a hand on the side of her face. "When I heard whisperings that the former Queen of the Maou Leviathan-sama had arrived, I could not be certain, but I'm truly glad we're able to meet again."
"Same here!" I agreed, smiling. Then I paused, realizing something else. "'Whisperings'? Wait… How did everyone even know that I'm… That I was Serafall's servant?"
"Well, you were the Queen of a Maou." Ravel reasoned, pushing (in the literal sense) into the conversation between Akeno-san and I. "Politicians, publishers, info brokers, they all make it a necessity to know these kinds of things, especially when it comes to our leaders. While there were probably quite a few people who didn't even know Leviathan-sama had even chosen a Queen, you're identity was hardly a royal secret."
Fair enough, but it made me feel uncomfortable that so many people I have never even met all know my name and address essentially.
"Well, enough of that." Akeno-san decided. She smiled at me once more. "Perhaps we can catch up since we last saw one another a few days ago?" I wondered whether or not I should bring up that we actually saw each other just yesterday, having glanced upon one another while with our respective Kings, but then thought better of it. While we have technically SEEN each other, it had never been for longer than a few seconds.
"I…" I trailed off, turning to face Ravel. She was a probationary member of my harem and deserving of the same attention and affection I give my friends as well, so I didn't want to be rude and just ditch her… but it would be nice to interact with one of my friends again under less than depressing circumstances as it had been with Haru and Asia. I was stuck at a crossroad.
Ravel placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "I am nothing if not generous towards my servants." That was… stretching the truth a little. "You better be back here soon though!" Ravel commanded. "You are meant to be my escort, so it wouldn't do well for my reputation if you spent even more time around another woman than you did me."
I smiled at her and bowed. "Yes, Ravel-sama." Turning my back to her, I walked over to Akeno-san and we walked to a different area of the incredibly large room.
Once Ravel was out of sight, Akeno-san must have gained a sudden burst of courage. She wrapped her arms around my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder.
"It truly is nice to have my adorable Kouhai back." Akeno-san admitted.
"So how have things been since I left? I…" I bit my lower lip, trying to fight back the pain caused by the tightening sensation in my chest. "... I checked up on Haru… but how has everyone else been doing?"
Akeno-san placed a finger to her lips, thinking. "Well… there's no easy answer to that." Akeno-san said. "We've all tried to maintain our best spirits ever since our defeat, but sometimes that crushing feeling of defeat weighs down heavy on us all, especially when we see Rias in such an unhappy state."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I can imagine… Where is Rias anyway?"
"She's in her dressing room… crying." Akeno-san said, hanging her head. "She has all of us going back and forth to check on Haru-kun. She really blames herself for what happened…"
I guess I wasn't the only person whose guilt was weighing heavily on their shoulders. Rias was supposed to be their leader. And she had a powerful attachment to her servants. The only person who could possibly be feeling as bad as I do or worse would be Rias. The whole reason she surrendered in the Rating Game was because Riser broke her spirit due to how brutally he beat Haru from what Akeno-san continues to tell me.
"How is Serafall…?" I asked the question I feared most in my gut. I hadn't seen nor heard about her since I walked out of the announcement room. Come to think of it, NOBODY has been talking about her. I had thought that her losing her Queen would be big news or something… big enough to have her mentioned more often.
Akeno-san shook her head. "I cannot say. She completely vanished after the Rating Game. Rias talked to Lucifer-sama and even he has no clue as to where Leviathan-sama went. My best guess is that she went to grieve. Anyone would if they lost someone like you, Ruto-kun." I couldn't tell if Akeno-san was teasing me or if she was serious. It could go either way. But still…
Serafall was missing. That thought caused a sharp pain in my heart. I knew without a doubt that her feelings for me were true… The night we had made love, she told me she would forsake her title as a Maou if Rias were to lose… During the Rating Game, I snuck off to the side for a bit…
I told her that that wasn't what I needed. For the sake of the Devil race, she had to persevere. The Devils needed a pure-hearted leader like her. She… did not respond positively. She didn't get mad, but she started crying to herself. I… I don't know about anything anymore. The world just seemed to flip on its head as a result of that Rating Game. I just don't know anymore.
"Perhaps it's for the best that we change the subject." Akeno-san noticed my troubled expression. She tried her best to pull off her usual teasing smile. "So I see you're awfully friendly with Riser's servants." We had ended up the table which served drinks and food. Akeno-san and I decided to get something to drink while we spoke. "Only a few days and already you're romancing them."
I waved off Akeno-san's accusations. "Nah. There are a few of who are pretty okay, but none of them are a woman quite like you, Akeno-san."I teased. Akeno-san blushed slightly, giggling to herself. "No really, no one can get off of seeing others burnt to a crisp with lightning quite like you. It's sexy as Hell." The part that disturbed me the most, however, was that I actually did find it a little sexy, Akeno-san's "S" side that is.
"Oh, you're just saying that!" Akeno-san actually seemed embarrassed by that sort-of compliment. Apparently she actually held pride in her "domination" skills. "It feels like you're doing your absolute best to make me blush, Ruto-kun~!"
"Yeah, well—"
I had been so focused on our conversation that I failed to see where I was going until I slammed into someone, knocking my glass over and almost sending me tumbling to the ground.
"Gah! What the hell?!" I cursed instinctively, being caught by Akeno-san before I hit the ground. Then I looked to see the red drink I had spilled on the mantle of the person before me and I bit my tongue. "Oh geez!"
The man looked down at his now—ruined article of clothing. He was a handsome young man with black hair and violet eyes. He wore clothing befitting that of a noble, but I couldn't help but feel that he was not the stereotypical noble-type. He was very tall and had a muscular build that made me want to go home and start doing push-ups. He stared down at the mess, apparently having just noticed it.
I panicked. "I… I am SO so sorry!" I apologized. "I was just—"
The older man raised a hand to silence me. "Don't worry about it. Accidents happen." He grinned in a pleasant and oddly laid-back manner despite the fact I just poured my drink all over his clothes. He absentmindedly tried to wipe off some of it with his hand. "I'm not one to get caught up on simple clothing."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "W-Well, I'm sorry. I-I just feel so bad about this." And I did. "And it's even worse coz you're being so pleasant about it. Geez…"
"Like I said. It's no big deal. As far as anyone else is concerned, one of the glasses just broke out of nowhere and spilled its contents on me. Sound about right?" He had a "go with it" expression on his face. Seriously, now I REALLY felt bad. If it had been any other kind of noble, I would've just been one apology and ignore them, but this guy was just downright pleasant. I really felt bad because he was just so willing to let it go.
"You're a pretty good guy, ya know that?" I held out my hand to the unnamed noble. "Ruto. Uzumaki Ruto. It's nice to meet you." If he was gonna be so pleasant, then I at least owed it to him to introduce myself.
The older man grinned again and grasped my hand with a firm hand of his own that took me by surprise.
With the way he grasped my hand and shook, I could immediately tell he was no pushover. His grip was first yet controlled. He clearly knew how to control his strength to just the right amount. He might not be on the same level as Ultimate-Class Devils, but I had no doubt he would be high-ranked amongst High-Class Devil fighters.
"Sairaorg Bael." The older of us two introduced himself.
"Sairaorg, huh?" Then I grinned, matching the older teen's expression. "Nice to meetcha. You don't mind if I call you "Sai", do you?"
Sairaorg shrugged in good humor. "Be my guest. But try not to use it in front of other nobles. If I didn't react to the familiarity you show that they perceive as an insult to my family's name, I would never hear the end of it."
Sai really was a pleasant person.
Sairaorg placed a hand under his chin, as if thinking. "Hm… that name… You wouldn't happen to be the former Queen of Leviathan-sama that I've heard about, would you?"
I nodded. "Yes… but after a certain wager… My loyalty belongs to the Phenex clan." I couldn't help the hint of bitterness in my voice. Knowing Serafall had gone missing had been a big blow to me. I kept on having horrible images in my head where she ended up hurting herself or someone else. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to her.
"Maybe you serve the Phenex clan," Sairaorg said. "But being a servant and being loyal are two different things. And you don't seem like the type to switch loyalties easy." Damn. He hit the nail on the head.
I raised an eyebrow. "What gives you that idea?" There was no way this guy could be that psychic.
"Gut instinct." He said this while giving a thumbs-up.
It took a lot of self-control to suppress laughter after that. Yep. Out of all of the Pure-Blood Devils, Sairaorg is officially my favorite… right after Serafall, but Sairaorg's my friend while Serafall is my lover so that doesn't really count..huh. I suppose I'd need to make two separate lists or something. One for friends and one for love interests.
"Well, hey, listen. It's been nice meeting you, Sairaorg, but I should return to my master soon." I explained. I had spent quite a bit of time speaking with Sairaorg and Akeno-san. I still had someone I wanted to visit before I returned to Ravel's side.
"It has been a pleasure, Ruto-kun." Sairaorg bid farewell as well. That was where we parted ways.
Once Sai was out of sight, I turned to Akeno-san and saw that her skin had paled somewhat. For a girl that got off on roasting enemies, she sure seemed shocked by something.
"Something wrong, Akeno-san?" I asked. "You getting sick?"
Akeno-san shook her head, breathing and waving off my question. "No no. I'm fine… Just… Try to show more respect when interacting with members of the Bael clan." I raised an eyebrow, but nodded wordlessly.
"Anyway, there's one more person I want to visit real quick…"