Chapter 12: Repairing Bonds
Don't Own DxD or D&D, Only The Oc
'thought'
"Speech"
System Text
"Tvs, Radios, and Text via book or newspaper... when those are around..."
[Starting Split]
Light fills the room as I look around, the two girls look a little spooked.
This looks like a generic girls dorm room, there's boy band posters on the wall, beds with frilly curtains around them, and a few plushies here and there.
I also notice a magic circle around my summoning circle... and a circle of salt...
The magic circle roughly has the effect of 'let those who fear the name of god be bound here'.
I have no fear of the name of god like most devils, so that circle is null and void... as is the salt because I'm not a fucking specter.
I look up slowly. "You two do know that salt is for ghosts, right?"
"It worked?" The blonde whispers completely ignoring my statement.
"Of course, it worked!" The other girl hisses. "With us working together we're unstoppable!"
They quietly bicker with each other as I let out a bored sigh. At least they are bickering about what they want to ask me.
The auburn haired one narrows her eyes. "You won't be taking our soul, right?"
"Devils haven't done that sort of thing for thousands of years." I scoff. "Mcdonalds wouldn't get any costumers if at the end of every visit they shot you in the face. Devil contracts nowadays have prices related to the task at hand. You want me to clean a room, or cook dinner, that's anywhere from-"
I look around slowly. "ten... euros? This is Brittan, right?"
"It is." The blonde nods.
"So, ten euros to fiftyish" I finish as I pull out my phone. "In fact, we even have an app to determine prices."
"Ah... I haven't even introduced myself, have I? How rude." I place a hand on my chest. "My name is Gaius Decarabia-Malthus. The lord of both the Malthus and the Decarabia clans. What may I do for you today."
"I read in a demonology book that the Malthus clan had the ability to create powerful weapons and armor... is this true?" The unnamed Le Fay slowly asks.
"It is." I nod. "Do you need a weapon smithed, armor fitted, a magic ring forged perhaps?"
"Magic ring?" The reddish brown haired girl blinks, only to be forced to the back as the blonde takes a step in front of her.
"I need you to create a magical sword for my brother!" She declares.
"Okay..." I slowly mutter. "Do you have any specifications. How 'magical' can you afford? What sort of powers do you want it to have? What do you want it to look like? Two handed, one handed, a rapier, single edged, dual edged-"
"W-Wait!" She suddenly states. "You're making my head spin!"
I fall quiet and look to the other girl while Le Fay brings two hands to her head, looking a little dazed. "So what about you, other girl?"
"It's Meredith." She states.
"Hn?" I hum.
"My name is Meredith and this is Le Fay."
"Okay." I state with a small shrug as I let out a small yawn. "So, what do you want?"
"Uhhh I sort of just did this to help Le Fay and to see if I could do it."
"So you want nothing? No underworld novels, no magic items, or anything like that?"
"Uhh." The girl mutters. "I... am not too good at combat spells. do you have anything to fix that?"
"Hm... I might be able to make you a ring that allows you to cast a destructive spell a couple of times per day. Is that what you want?"
"That sounds good." She nods repeatedly, a greedy gleam in her eye.
"Alright. I'll see what I can do."
My eyes slide over to the blonde magician who seems to have gotten her thoughts together.
"I want you to make a... sword..."
I give her a half-lidded glare.
"I want it to be able to be held in one hand, but with a handle long enough to be held in two if needed."
'bastard sword, then?'
"One edge or two edges." I ask.
"I want it to have two edges." She mutters.
"Any special effects?"
"Special... effects?" She repeats with a slow blink.
"As a magic sword it'll be far more durable than a normal sword, and will also be far sharper, but do you want it to spit fire? Do you want it to be a dragon slaying weapon, human slaying, or giant slaying? Do you want me to give it the ability to store weaker spells which trigger when the blade hits something?"
"Oh." The girl blinks. "Can you make it so. Uh..."
"Do you want me to make a sword of elemental destruction?"
"Sword of Elemental destruction?" She repeats.
"A sword which burns, shocks, and freezes whatever it hits."
"Yeah!" She nods. "That sounds awesome!"
"May I ask why you even want a sword anyways?" I question.
"Uh... my brother's birthday is coming up soon..." She mutters while looking at the ground. "And he is about to face a dangerous challenge so he can inherit the family's sword."
I give her a slow blink. "You do realize if I make this blade correctly, he might not even want his family's sword, right? This'll be like... your new family sword."
The girl shyly scratches the back of her head.
I begin typing away at my phone.
"Alllllright." I mutter as I point suddenly at the brown haired girl. "The price for the magical ring I am thinking about making is worth- oh wow... a fifth of a million euros."
The girl sucks in a breath and flinches back.
I point to Le Fay. "And yours is even more ridiculous."
"But I'm willing to negotiate on those prices. You are mages, right? In some form of magical organization? I've got a library at home but no books beyond a few manga issues here and there. Frankly the book shelves are absolutely barren. If you can get me copies of your human magic books I will give you your items."
I tilt my head. "As for how many?"
I do a couple of quick calculations on my phone. "For each unique run of the mill magic book I will knock off twenty five thousand euros. for rarer books, and books that deal with more powerful magic, I'll knock off a fair bit more. I also accept artifacts and other magic items. Reasonable?"
"We aren't allowed to take the books from the libraries... but making copies should be fine." Meredith slowly nods.
"Uh... yeah." Le Fay agrees.
"Grand." I smile. "I'll leave you a summoning paper and my phone number and I'll text you when the items are done."
I gesture to Meredith. "Yours can be done in a couple of days at most, but the sword will take a fair bit longer. I'll need to find ample materials, forge the blade from scratch, enchant it, it's really just an entire process, but if I had to estimate a time for it."
I let out a low click. "A little under a month maybe?"
Le Fay lets out a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's still fast enough."
"When do you need this blade exactly?" I ask slowly.
"Before the twentieth of next month."
'so forty days.' I mentally note.
"Alright, I guess I'll go then." I state slowly as I pull a piece of paper from my pocket. "This will allow you to summon me again."
I pull out a second piece of paper and scrawl down a number. "And this is my phone number. I'll tell you when your items are done."
I look down at the magic circle around me. "Also, this magic circle wouldn't have contained me anyways."
I take a step forward, out of the circle and try to hand the piece of paper to Meredith who is frozen with shock. "B-But... how? That should- that should have-"
"Oh, it's quite simple. Against any other devil this would have worked but I don't fear the lord's name." I shrug. "God God God Godly God. See?"
I turn and give the piece of paper to Le Fay who takes it shakily.
I wordlessly turn and walk back to the circle that summoned me and wave. "Goodbye. I'll see you soon!"
With that I teleport back to the underworld.
[Split]
I wipe my forehead and let out a long breath.
Man. It's hot in here.
Even with my fire immunity, the temperature of the room and vigorous action is causing me to build up a sweat.
I lift a white-hot blade and look down its length.
No warping.
I dunk it into a deep vat of magical oil beside me, bluish flames line the blade and coil up the end to where I have grasped it. The fires tickle slightly, but I only feel a slightly uncomfortable heat.
I bull the blade free, watching as it erupts into flames.
I smile as the blue inferno begins to slowly die down.
The blade is still white-hot, but as it cools, it will gain a blood red color that will remain even after it is completely cooled down.
Impervious +2 Hihi'irokane Bastard Sword:
Made of the legendary Japanese metal 'Scarlet Steel', any fire enchantments placed upon this blade increase in strength several fold, it is constantly warm to the touch, just as durable as adamantine, and is also an incredible conductor of magical power and soul-based powers like Senjutsu.
Hardness: 28
Health: 67
Weight: 2 Lbs
Damage: 2d2+6+Str*1.5 (Note: this blade is unsharpened)
Crit Range: 19-20. (x2)
"This'll do."
A head pokes into the room. "My lord, Miss Leviathan is here to see you."
"Let her in, Virgo." I sigh
The woman nods then opens the door and steps aside, Serafall calmly enters the room, a large change from her normal 'shove Virgo hard enough to get her close to orgasming and kick the door open' entrance.
She pauses, either from the fact that this room is probably the temperature of a pre-heated oven, or the fact that her eyes are glued to my shirtless body.
"Serafall." I nod with a small smile.
She flinches as if she had been struck.
I blink slowly as I watch her eyes water, she sniffles, a large pout appearing on her face.
"G-Gai-Tan!" She sobs as she collapses at my feet. "I'm sorry! Forgive me!"
"Hn?" I hum, absolutely confuddled at her sudden crying.
"I messed up! P-please just call me Sera-Tan again! I-I-I can't handle you being mad at me!"
I stare down at her with wide eyes 'Holy shit she is insecure. Or is this just an act?'
"I've already forgiven you, Sera-tan, but I'm growing older... calling you Sera-tan could be seen as improper." I mutter to the groveling girl.
"Then be improper! Stay my adorable Gai-Tan forever!" She pouts.
I let out a small snort. "'My adorable Gai-Tan' eh? Is that really something you should be saying while clinging to someone who's engaged to someone else."
The woman pouts at me as I pick her up off the ground, I gently lay the still extremely hot sword down on a nearby adamantine anvil.
The Satan suddenly looks extremely serious. "Gaius... do you even want to be engaged."
I let out a low click as I turn and step past her, cleaning the sweat off my body with Prestidigitation.
A white button up dress shirt appears in my hands next; I slip it on and begin buttoning it up slowly as I let out a quiet sigh. "Honestly? No."
I finish buttoning up the shirt and turn around. "I haven't even spoken to the girl once, and that little disgrace, Lord Phenex is trying every trick in the book to fuck me over."
"But..." I mutter as I look up at the ceiling for a brief moment. "I... actually loved Rosaline... and a small part wishes that I could have something like that again, but... it hurts, Sera."
I find my face being smushed into her breasts as she pats the back of my head, it's a little awkward, as I'm steadily surpassing her height.
"G-Gai-tan!" She sniffles. "Don't worry! Your big sis Sera-tan will be here for you!"
"I've been patient, haven't I, Sera-tan?" I slowly ask.
"You have." The woman nods.
"I've been patient, I've been more or less polite, the only time I have done anything would be when I gave Lord Phenex a gentle reminder to not ignore my numerous letters. I haven't even done anything to him in retribution for the fact that he was the one who ordered my original assassination. Admittedly that one is from lack of proof, but I am fully aware that it was him."
Serafall quickly breaks our hug and stares me in the eyes. "What was that, Gai-Tan?"
"Oh, yeah, Lord Phenex originally tried to have me killed because he wanted what was rightfully mine, then I assume he did it again when you subtly took out those assassins under my window that one time... honestly it really only clicked into place recently, the disgusted looks at me I always saw in the corner of my eye, the letter his butler was carrying in his right pocket when he tried to murder me, the fact that it was his butler that tried to murder me in the first place... actually it was that guy that you froze when we first met."
I sigh and shake my head. "I sadly don't have any proof of it, but it does put my patience a fair bit lower when dealing with him... and Sera-Tan... if he keeps pushing me. If he keeps trying to find my breaking point. I will kill him."
I smile brightly "So could you please stop him from acting in a manner that's inching me closer and closer to snapping?"
"I-" the woman begins slowly.
"…"
"I'll see what I can do." She ominously states, there's a dark gleam deep within her purple eyes.
Ah good. I've set the sights of an eager to please magical girl on him. She'll probably locate the guy she apparently had imprisoned and ask a few questions.
The murderous look in her eyes disappears swiftly after. "Anyways Gai-tan! I know I messed up, but I'm going to make it better! I know how much you missed out on so I'm gonna cover it completely!"
"You don't need to do that, Sera-tan." I sigh. "Honestly. You don't. It's not about the money, it's about sending a message. If you gave me money, that's just Serafall Leviathan's pity money... it wasn't earned, it wasn't dragged from the hands of lord Phenex while he can only watch as his past comes crashing down on him. It's meaningless."
"But I messed up." The magical girl pouts. "I need to pay you back for it!"
"Then pay me back by giving me a way to mess with Lord Phenex." I deadpan.
"So, you are telling me you don't want this large piece of Agaresite?" She asks as a large hunk of red crystal thunks to the ground behind her, it's roughly the size of a basketball.
I stare blankly at the rough orb of crystal.
Holy shit. That's the stuff they make Evil pieces out of... that amount could easily be used to make several sets.
I look up slowly to see the satan grinning slightly.
"Am I even legally allowed to have that?"
"That's a bit of a grey area." She responds. "You can't purchase it, as they don't sell it for uses beyond evil pieces creation, yet there's nothing saying you can't have it."
I bite my lip as I stare at the crystal.
She reaches up and pats my head. "Just take it, Gai-tan! I brought it here for you."
"Fffffine." I sigh with a fairly large pout.
"Dang it, Sera-Tan... here I am trying to be all cool, and you give me an offer I can't knowingly refuse."
"Don't worry, Gai-Tan! You'll always be cool to me! And it's okay to be greedy sometimes! We're devils after all!"
"I guess." I slowly mutter as I look to the large hunk of crystal.
I place a hand on it and cause it to disappear into my newly upgraded storage magic.
"So..." I awkwardly cough. "Would you like to see the new thing I've been working on?"
"Yeah!" She cheers.
"Alright, I'll take you to my secret playground, then." I state as I walk to the door.
"Secret playground?" She repeats with a slow blink.
She follows me back to the foyer; we step into a large circle. Virgo stands slightly further away.
"Virgo, if anyone arrives, please let me know." I state as I slowly raise a hand.
She bows her head. "As you wish, master."
With a flex of demonic magic we are tugged from the magic circle and transported to another.
The woman looks around slowly "Ooooh I didn't know you had a bunker... this is under your house, riiight?"
"Something like that." I state as I gesture to the large doors in front of us. "This is the door to my secret lab. Technically, if it came to it, someone could live in here for thousands upon thousands of years. I just hope it doesn't come to that."
"Biotope?" She asks with a small head tilt.
"It's a reference!" I proudly grin as I step over to the doors.
They slowly open as a stone pathway is laid out before us, a sea of black grass on either side.
"This is where I keep my experiments that work!" I state as I strut inside.
She slowly follows along behind me, looking over the sea of grass.
"What you are seeing now is Black Grass. Don't let the fact that it has 'Grass' in its name fool you, it's actually incredibly tasty. In most of my meals nowadays I have a Black Grass salad as a side dish."
"Hn?" The girl hums. "May... I?"
"If you want." I shrug.
She reaches down and plucks a strand from the side of the path and bites it, her eyes widening at the crunch it has.
"Oh wow." She mutters. "Heeey Gai-tan! Can I have some of this stuff?"
"Sure." I shrug. "It grows extremely quickly so take as much as you want, buuuut you might wanna wait until after the tour~"
I give her a small wink as we continue on.
I gesture towards a split in the path, leading up to a hill covered with black grass, a gazebo is sat on the very top along with a fairly large dining area. "That's just a place where I can eat in peace, it has a few kitchen appliances like a sink, a flat top stove, a grill, and a fridge."
We continue walking down the path to an area where several trees are growing.
"This is some of my other experiments, but they haven't grown yet."
I point to a splotchy brown, white, and green tree with bright green leaves. "That's the white apple tree."
I gesture past it to several more that look roughly the same. "Those are also white apple trees."
I look to the other side where several large trees sit with tiny acorns of assorted colors sit. "There's the drinkorn trees. Once more not exactly grown, but their acorns are starting to appear. So that's nice."
We pause in front of a bunch of vines with large coconut-like spheres at the end of each.
"Holy shit." I whisper with wide eyes. "These are almost done?!"
I shake my head and gesture to the vines.
"These are my Donburi fruits." I announce.
"Donburi?" Serafall asks. "like the rice dish?"
"Yep!" I grin. "and considering these are almost ripe, you may just get to see why they're called that soon enough! Anyways, if we continue on... we'll see more ungrown stuff, and maybe some ripe stuff."
"Is that a solid hot pink tree?"
"It is!" I respond. "That's the Vanilove tree! It's not grown yet, nor will it be for a couple of years at least, so don't worry about it."
[Endsplit]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone