Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
"Do you want to dance?" I asked completely out of nowhere with a smile as I looked at Ravel. Ravel looked surprised before nodding with a smile. We headed to the center of the room and got into position. To her surprise, I moved away from her slightly and snapped my fingers toward the instruments. The music that had been playing stopped completely before changing.
Rondo Across Countless Kalpas.
Ravel seemed curious as the first notes rang out. I took a few slow steps forward, shuffling my feet toward her. To my surprise, Ravel immediately adjusted her position and extended her right hand in my direction. I reached out with my left hand and gently cradled it before spinning Ravel around.
"A tango?" Ravel asked, more curious than anything else, as she stopped. I gently held the tips of her fingers as I twirled around her with a seductive smile and stopped behind her. My hands, along with hers, lowered completely, and I trailed my fingers down her bare arms. Ravel shuddered slightly.
"Do you dare?" I asked hoarsely before placing my hands on her shoulders. Ravel reacted immediately and twisted around sharply, grabbing my hands and getting into position.
"I'm a Phenex. Try not to humiliate me," Ravel said with a confident smile. I gave her a hungry look before pulling her towards me and pressing her body against mine before I started moving.
We started dancing along to the music. I had to admit Ravel was good. She'd never heard the music, let alone rehearsed it before, so she was brilliant at adapting and following my movements.
The slow, seductive, and elegant movements blended with rapid ones with natural ease to the point where we moved in unison. With a twist, we extended in opposite directions while our hands held each other. I took the opportunity to lean in and kiss the back of her hand.
She instantly removed her hand and gave me a mocking smile. I immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me once more. Ravel looked surprised by the slightly rough handling but adjusted once more. The dance continued.
Ravel's soft, delicate body was teasing me. Her gentle but firm touches, her slow movements, the way she wound around my arms. It was driving me crazy. Halfway through the song, I changed the tempo completely.
My movements became more aggressive, almost desperate. I'm sure my gaze was ravenous; my pupils should have been glowing. Even so, I grabbed Ravel and began to move and shake her intensely. Ravel adapted almost immediately and continued the dance.
Ravel didn't seem distressed or bothered in the least by the treatment; in fact, she was blushing thoroughly, her breathing becoming increasingly irregular, and it was definitely from the dancing. She had a huge, almost seductive smile on her face. My hands moved all over her body, using light touches before continuing to dance, forcing her to quickly change positions.
The movements became increasingly faster and hungrier until the song finally ended, and I held Ravel with my right hand as her body seemed to give way in a dramatic dip. I could hear the applause of the others, but I ignored it.
I couldn't resist and started kissing her, although this time, I held back enough to separate us once the applause ended.
"Temptress," I growled against her lips. Ravel laughed at my misery.
"You look hungry, dear. Do you need help? " Ravel asks mockingly.
"Yes, you," I said hoarsely, my gaze fixed on hers. Ravel blushed but stood up and adjusted her dress.
"Maybe when the party's over." She winked playfully. But I could see the deep blush on her cheeks. She was definitely flirting. She hadn't planned on going that far, but I admired her initiative. My tail shot out to her waist, wrapped around her a couple of times, and pulled her towards me.
I sighed deeply into her neck and placed a soft kiss.
"Promises." I said seductively. Ravel moaned slightly but didn't say anything. We both started walking as before as if nothing had happened.
After a couple more hours of the engagement party, with more dancing and talking, the devils began to leave one by one. They all gave cheerful greetings and congratulations, praising the snacks and drinks. The entertainment, the music, everything—many were obviously terribly fake. But there were a few who were truly honest.
For example, Iryuka Glasya-Labolas, a close friend of Ravel's, seemed genuinely happy for her, and they talked for quite a while. Which I'm glad about; it was good for Ravel to have friends. She also seemed barely fazed by my constant contact with Ravel. I knew everyone was listening to Ravel's explanation, but I was expecting a few glances, not near-total indifference.
I had asked Ravel, and it turned out it was just as she said. It was unlikely that any devil would mind any excess. Most of the old devils, pillar devils who lived before the EvilPieces system came into effect, they were quite… 'sexually comfortable,' let's say, in that sense. They were used to that sight.
It only became less common when reincarnated devils came into play, and the devils had to adapt. Like the moon and the day-night system the Satans implemented, they had to become more… secretive.
So, most devils wouldn't bat an eye at consensual groping or casual public nudity. If that was the case, I couldn't understand how Issei's Dress Break was so effective. I tried to quickly recall the group of victims, and I could notice something.
Most were reincarnated devils or non-devils. Other devils were young enough to be born after devils became more inhibited, although there was surely the element of surprise, so it was indeed possible it could work.
I guess Ravel was an example of the latter. She was completely taken by surprise by my lust, and once she realized what was happening, she practically offered to be used as a stress doll. She even seemed to enjoy it sometimes. The way she'd move in my direction to press her body even closer against mine without me even telling her. Or her completely flushed cheeks throughout the second half of the party.
Back to the guests, I also met other devils our age. Sona, Seekvaira, Zephyrdor, Sairaorg, and, unfortunately, Diodora. It was quite easy to talk to Sona and Seekvaira.
While I loved magic more than anything, that doesn't mean it was the only genre I consumed. I'd watched several mecha series, so the conversation flowed quickly once Ravel brought up the topic. In fact, Seekvaira and I were talking excitedly.
Ravel separated us before I got lost in conversation like Ajuka and I had, which was a shame. On the other hand, Sona seemed genuinely curious about succubi and had quite a few questions, including my educational level and how I'd learned enough to maintain a lively conversation with Ajuka. She apparently wasn't too impressed when I told her I didn't formally go to school and was entirely self-taught. Which wasn't a lie, according to the story created by Paper Trail.
Serafall wanted to start another magical girl conversation, but Sona pushed her away quickly enough to prevent that from happening.
Regarding Zephyrdor and Sairaorg, I didn't really have any strong opinions. Sairaorg was quite easy-going, but we didn't have a long conversation. Meanwhile, Zephyrdor was just as arrogant as I expected, so Ravel and I immediately distanced ourselves.
Finally, Diodora. I had to admit he was excellent at acting. If I didn't know about his true personality, I would almost certainly have been fooled enough not to give him a second glance.
On the other hand, Rias and Akeno stayed as far away from us as possible. And I wasn't being figurative, but literal. As we walked around the main hall, I could see Rias and Akeno going to talk to devils across the room, 'coincidentally' always staying away from us.
I didn't really care. The canon is about to happen. If I wasn't mistaken with the dates, Issie should be reincarnated as her pawn in a week or two, and everything would begin. And because of the mission, I certainly can't intervene at the moment.
The Satans were the last to leave. Ajuka promised to get in touch to continue our conversation while Sirzechs waited for a message to set the whole plan in motion. In the end, only Phenex and my peerage remained.
"Well, I guess the party was a success!" Enid chirped as she approached with a huge smile. "There was a woman in front of the instruments the whole time! She wanted me to tell you she loved what you did with Vivaldi's Winter," Enid said happily.
"A Dramatic Irony never fails." I said playfully.
"You were wonderful!" Ravel's mother squealed as she approached her daughter and hugged her tightly, and by extension, I, who was practically glued to Ravel.
"We'll leave, Ravel. Are you staying?" Lord Phenex asked as his daughter continued to hug her mother.
"Yes, Father, this will be my home in the future. I'll be spending more time here," Ravel said firmly. Elise smiled almost tearfully before hugging her daughter once more.
"Serena, I expect you to take care of my daughter," Elise said firmly, and I smiled and nodded. After Ravel's siblings, including Riser, said their goodbyes, they left us completely alone.
"Finally." I groaned in frustration. "I can't take it anymore," I growled loudly.
"Oh... I... do you need help?" Ravel asked timidly. I looked at her in surprise. And as tempting as the idea was, I shook my head.
"Not this time, but I appreciate the offer. You've already done so much with the dances." I said with a hungry look as I looked her up and down. I bit my lip, and with a smile, I kissed her softly. Finally, I pulled away, grabbed Bella's wrist, and opened a portal. Bella didn't even resist when I dragged her inside, and we ended up in our bedroom. I set up a time bubble and threw Bella onto the bed. She smiled seductively at me.
"Are you going to stay standing, or will you join me?" Bella asked playfully. I groaned slightly before joining Bella. I let all the pent-up lust out.
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I was thouroughly satisfied once I finished unloading everything I had on Bella. We both took a long shower to clean ourselves, and I finally broke the time bubble. I created a portal again, and we returned to the main hall. Ravel looked surprised.
"Did something happen?" Ravel asked, confused.
"No, we're done. I feel much better." I said with a placid smile.
"So fast?!" Ravel squealed in disbelief as she looked me up and down. Lucius burst out laughing.
"Oh, Salazar! She thinks you're precocious!" Lucius shrieked loudly. My face heated up completely.
"I'm not!! That didn't happen! I put up a time bubble! We've been in there for hours!" I shrieked indignantly at Ravel, who blushed deeply.
"Now, now, Sera, it seems you're trying to compensate when you put it that way. There's no shame in admitting it," Narcissa said with a big, shit-eating grin. I snarled in her direction.
"Don't worry, Sera, we love you just the way you are," Enid said reassuringly. I gave her a look of betrayal.
"Et Tu Enid?" I asked, betrayed. Enid laughed lightly before kissing my lips.
"S-sorry." Ravel said, blushing as she looked down. I sighed.
"Don't worry, just... let's forget that ever happened," I said patiently. The others laughed at my suffering. I sighed once more and decided to change the subject. "Okay, how about we go visit our prisoners? Or are you just too tired?" I asked with an amused smile. Everyone's expression changed. Bella's was a bloodthirsty smile. Enid's was a grimace.
"Yeah, I'd come, but I should be here, in the main hall, helping clean up the mess! " Enid said, trying to escape. Narcissa giggled lightly beside her.
"I'd accompany you, dear, but that's not my scene," Narcissa said as she linked her arm with Enid's before the two began to move around the room.
"Don't work too hard. I know you're tired. Go rest." I told them both, and they nodded at me but continued walking.
"I'll go check that everything's in order for tomorrow. I'll be a text away if you need me," Lucius said with a smile. I nodded and let him go to the office.
"I'll go with you. I want to know who was stupid enough to crash my engagement party." Ravel snarled. I nodded again. We quickly headed towards the dungeons. Though dungeons weren't an acceptable term, they were actually small rooms/cells with Extension Charms placed inside and many Indestructible Charms, so they couldn't do anything.
There were 5 of them. 5 devils, all impaled half a dozen times, as they were locked in individual cells just big enough for them to fit through. Spikes protruded from all the walls and pierced the devils, preventing them from moving in any way.
They were barely alive as they bled, their eyes bulging, pale with no sign of reaction, but they were definitely alive. I sighed.
"Did you have to do it this way?" I asked Bella tiredly. Bella snorted.
"Of course I did." Bella said mockingly, not looking the least bit sorry. Ravel seemed almost impassive as she looked at the devils.
"How are they staying alive?" Ravel asked, more curious than anything.
"Potions," Bella said with a shrug. "Blood replacement and a few others to keep them alive," she added, and Ravel nodded.
"That would explain all the blood," Ravel said with a grimace of disgust as she looked at the floor. She was about to pick up her dress to avoid staining it. I simply moved my hand, and the blood moved away from us. Ravel looked at me and nodded in thanks.
"Okay, let's get this over with. I'm tired and want to go to sleep." I said simply as I sighed, took out a bottle of veritaserum from my inventory, and approached the first devil.
The questions were almost routine: who you are, what was your objective, who gave you the order. One after another, they answered candidly. It's not as if they could resist. I wasn't shocked to hear the names of Lucifaad's pillar devils; it was expected. But one of them was present at the party.
That made Ravel narrow her eyes in fury. Poor devil, if she didn't get some revenge, Ravel would put them on the Phenex's hit list. They'd be in for a severe blow.
I finally reached the last one. A woman, who looked familiar to me, honestly. Black hair and eyes. Her hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, but that was because of the way Bella treated her like her plaything. The most important point was that she was dressed like a slightly baggy shrine maiden with a scar on her face that ran across her nose below her right eye.
To my surprise, unlike the other devils, she was much more alert, blushing slightly and moaning occasionally. She was still a little out of sorts, but that must be the hemorrhagic shock. Even with the blood replenishing potion, it was still terribly dangerous if the regenerating blood continued to be drained.
I gave her the veritaserum and watched as her eyes became even more out of focus.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
"S-Suzuka." The devil said neutrally.
"What were your orders?" I asked again.
"Steal… everything I could… without them noticing," the woman said.
"Who gave you the order?" I finally asked.
"Lord Honest." The woman didn't even hesitate to say it. Or fight the potion. She was too far gone to muster any willpower.
Most importantly, I expected Honest to get involved. I half hoped he wouldn't, but that was wishing for too much. I glanced at Suzuka once more, almost shrugged, and gave Bella the order to devour them at her leisure, but I stopped myself.
Suzuka, Honest, Akame ga Kill. Finally, I connected the dots. In front of me was Suzuka, a member of the Four Rakshasa Devils, Honest's executioner squad. My eyes widened slightly.
"Okay, change of plans. I know who she is, and I've wanted to try something for a while," I said aloud. Bella frowned and stared at Suzuka as she peered into my mind through the bond.
"Oh, it's THAT Suzuka," Bella said distractedly once she knew Honest and a few others were in this world. I practically forced everyone to watch with me. Akame ga Kill. Bella certainly enjoyed it. Enid absolutely hated it and was completely sick of it (she cried her eyes out at the deaths of Bulat, Sheele, and Chelsea, but… who doesn't?). Yes, that's what was happening to the empire under Honest.
"Yes, it is." I confirmed with a nod.
"she was terribly weak," Bella said with a grimace. I snorted.
"You're too strong, it's different." I replied playfully.
"Um, may I know what you're talking about?" Ravel asked, confused. "Is she someone important in the future of that 'series' about us you mentioned?" Ravel asked.
"Almost close. There's a lot to catch up on that front," I said distractedly. "Think of this world like the main world. Well, for some reason, people from other worlds were dropped into this one, and the world was adjusted, so their existences made sense. Her. She's one of those people. Someone who shouldn't normally be in this world. She is from another world, but it was adjusted so that such a thing would happen."
"It sounds confusing," Ravel said, wrinkling her nose cutely. "And it sounds like something that shouldn't have happened. Or am I wrong? " she asked. I nodded.
"No, it shouldn't have happened. It's complicated, and I don't have the answer myself as to why it happens, but it is happening. It'll take a while to update you again. The point is, there was something I wanted to prove," I said playfully. I took out The Company's seal and pressed it against Suzuka's forehead for three seconds. The tattoo marked her immediately.
I took out my phone and immediately checked it.
Suzuka(T5) from Akame ga Kill! -- 71:59:37
It worked!
My smile grew wider. I guess this was a way of saying I had to harvest Lucifaad for credits. I couldn't wait.
Author's Notes: I love Rondo Across Countless Kalpas, and also A Dramatic Irony , extra points for those who know both songs!