Luna, Daphne, and Harry tiheir day out, enjoying the sights and treating themselves to a rexing afternoon after the earlier se at the dealership. The city’s eclectic blend of modernity and Underworld charm offered plenty of distras, and it wasn’t long befhter and easy versation filled the air between them again.

  As they wandered past a row of charming cafés, Daphne gnced over at Luna. “So… whely is this duel again?”

  Harry raised an eyebrow, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, Luna, did you ever actually agree oerms?”

  Luna fshed them a mischievous smile, clearly unfazed. “Oh, I made sure he’d show up. Tomorrow, first blood. Otherwise, he’ll have no choice but to admit he was too much of a coward to face a ‘mere’ “Vampire” who’s not even a devil.”

  Daphne ughed, shaking her head. “You have a way with these situations, Luna.”

  “Hey, just keeping things iing,” Luna

  =====================

  At the Phee, the mood was tehe Phenex family had been banking on Daphne’s marriage into their line as a powerful union of their families, and the news of her defiance was nothing short of an insult. Members of the Phenex muttered in dark ers, casting suspicious goward Ruval, who bore the brunt of their distent. His decision to duel Daphne’s vampire lover tomorrow had bee the only acceptable way to salvage his pride and that of his family.

  “It’s ridiculous,” a young RIser pheates with a sneered, shaking their head as they paced the floor of the Phenex grand hall. “She won’t bow to our s, a she lets a vampire y cim to her. He better win tomorrow, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”

  The Phenex patriarch himself gave Ruval a stern look. “Make sure you’re ready, Ruval,” he said, his voice cold. “The family name depends on it.”

  “Please its just a vampire.” Ruval states

  ====================

  Sirzechs, Lucifer of the Maou, sat in ptive silence, listening as his cil debated the ret developments. He alone seemed uhough the tension in the room alpable.

  "House Phenex should mas own sdals," Lady Grayfia murmured to Sirzechs. "But a duel—especially with a vampire—is bound to attract attention.”

  “Indeed,” Sirzechs replied with a slight smile. “Though if Daphne’s chosen such a path, there must be a reason.”

  Grayfia g him, surprised by his mild tone. "Your sister would be fasated by this, you know."

  “She already is,” Sirzechs replied, half-amused.

  Elsewhere, news had already reached the Gremory estate, sparking its own intrigue. Young Rias, heir to the Gremory line, articurly taken with the development. Barely old enough to sider such matters, she heless sahne’s bold defiance as a potential pret. For Rias, this was more than gossip—it was a ce to craft her own arguments to escape her arranged marriage.

  “If Daphne challehe norm,” she reasoo herself, her eyes alight with excitement, “then maybe I , too.”==============================

  The m of the duel dawned cold and crisp, a biting chill seeping into the cavernous arena where Daphne, Luna, and Harry waited in silehe arena, an a battleground, loomed around them with t stone arches and shadowed tiers of empty seats, save for two notable figures. Sirzechs Lucifer, the Maou himself, and his wife Grayfia had takes at a vantage point, seemingly uerred by the ck of a crowd.

  Said Demonlord himself was staring at Harry who was staring right back.

  Daphne couldn’t help but cast a sidelong g the empty seats, a pang of disappoi flickering across her face. Her family’s absence weighed heavily on her. Despite her defiance, a part of her had hoped they’d at least appear out of duty or curiosity. But as her gaze nded on Luna and Harry, she smiled.

  The silence was deafining.

  “Guess they don’t expect much of a show,” Luna said, breaking the sileh a slight smirk. She shot a quick, spiratorial g Harry. “Not that I bme them.”

  Harry shrugged, uned. “Fewer distras.”

  “Just remember that when they get here. Let me hahe talking, I wasnt one of the two leaders of my people for nothing.” Luna states

  ==========

  Sirzechs watched them ily, his gaze flickeriween Harry and Luna. Leaning trayfia, he murmured, “Iing choice for a duel. I’d have expected more of a spectacle from the Phenex family.”

  Grayfia nodded, her gaze thoughtful. “Ruval must be taking this quite personally if he hasn’t invited his owe to witness it. Likely he wants no witnesses if it doesn’t end in his favor.”

  “THEY ARE LATE I SHALL TAKE THIS AS A FORFIT!” Luna announces from the ter of the stadium.

  Before Sirzechs could respond, another fre of fire erupted at the far end of the arena, revealing Ruval and a handful of Phetendants, the eended Phenex family arriving fillin half the stadium their expressions as icy as the m air. Ruval’s face was a mask of smug fidehough his eyes held a glint of irritation as he took in the sparse audience.

  Ruval strode forward, his gaze zeroing in on Harry with a desding sneer. “Quite the intimate gathering you’ve assembled,” he drawled, gng dismissively at Daphne and Luna before returning his gaze to Harry. “I’d expected a bit more… presence for su importa.”

  Harry returned Ruval’s look with a steady calm. “Important to you, maybe. To us, it’s just another m.”

  “Husband, please just take irlfriend and go to the stands. I got this.” Luna states

  “One more thing, this is a 1V1, if anyone else interferes they die.” Harry says with a whisper yet eveyone iadium heard it.

  Sirzechs, from the stands, leaned closer to Grayfia, a faint smile faltering, “What the fuck is he, defiently not human.”

  ========================

  Luna looked to Ruval before turning to the leader of the Underworld,

  “Sir Lucifer why don’t you start us off.” Luna shouts at him.

  Sirzechs arched an eyebrow, clearly amused by Luna's casual request. He rose from his seat with a anding air, his voice calm but resonant enough to fill the entire arena.

  “Very well,” he replied, his gaze sweeping over the two duelists. “This duel between Luna and Ruval Phenex shall be ducted uhe traditional terms of the Underworld: to first blood. No interference from any outside party will be tolerated,” he added, casting a meaningful look around the Phee.

  With a slight, knowing smile, Sirzechs raised a hand. “You may begin... now.”

  Ruval turn back to look at Luna who was suddenly in the air slightly above him fist desding towards his face.

  Ruval’s eyes widened as he realized Luna had unched herself above him with surprising speed, her fist desding toward him like a et. He barely had time to react, summoning a quick fre of fire to his hands, using it as both shield and propulsion to throw himself backward, avoiding the brunt of her strike. Her fist hit the stone floor instead, sending cracks radiating across the arena’s surface.

  Rec his stance, Ruval gred at Luna, a mixture of irritation and respect creeping into his expression. “You’re quick for a… non-devil,” he shough his torayed a hint of nervousness.

  Luna grinned, her voice light. “It’s called experiery to keep up!”

  Ruval, not about to be outdone, fred his wings a into the air, unleashing a storm of fiery projectiles in her dire. But Luna’s reflexes were razor-sharp; she dodged and weaved through the bze, her ughter eg through the arena.

  It was a se straight out of touhou.

  =================

  “She’s toying with him.” Sirzechs mutters in surprise.

  From the stands, Sirzechs watched with a raised eyebrow, a hint of amusement and admiration in his gaze as he leaned over to Grayfia. “She’s toying with him,” he muttered, impressed despite himself.

  “Isn’t Ruval one of the stro of his geion?” Grayfia asks

  Sirzechs chuckled, his eyes never leaving the arena. "Ruval's strength is undeniable, but it seems that girl… Luna? I wonder what kind of training she's had to develop such impressive reflexes."

  Grayfia raised an eyebrow, her voice ced with curiosity. "She’s obviously more than just a mere mortal?"

  Sirzeodded, his eyes still fixed on the arena. "Definitely. There's something about her that suggests she has... potential." He paused, his gaze flig to Grayfia before returning to Luna and Ruval. "I'd love to see what else she do."

  “e on fried turkey st to hit me and hit me!~” Luna sings Grayfia ughed, her expression mirr Sirzechs'. "I think yetting your hopes up about this 'potential' of hers," she teased. "But I have to admit, it's been a while since we've seen someoake on Ruval like that."

  “Right most of the old foggies are either to powerful or to scared.” Sirzechs

  “MAYBE YOU ARE A CHI AND NOT A TURKEY!” Luna sings again.

  The duel had reached new heights of absurdity. Ruval's face torted in frustration as Luna tio taunt him with her ridiculous singing.

  "YOU'RE JUST A BIG OL' CHI, RUVAL!" she warbled, her voice eg off the walls of the arena.

  Ruval's eyes narrowed, his fmes burning brighter with anger. "THAT IS CHILDISH BEHAVIOR!" he growled, but Luna was uerred.

  "BKKKAKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" she shouted again and again, each time punctuating her t with a dramatic fp making her arms into chi wings.

  "I BKKKAKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" she shouted once more, iing him this time adding in some impressive foot work peg around dodging his fmes with ease as she taunted him.

  Ruval screamed in anger as fmes engulfed his body, the air around him seemed to distort and ripple with heat. The dust on the ground began to swirl up into tiny tornadoes, as if trying to escape the intense warmth emanating from the demon lord.

  The ground itself started to melt, like wax in a furnace, as the fiery aura surrounding Ruval reached critical temperatures. The sound of sizzling rock filled the air, apanied by an eerie crag hat seemed to grow louder with each passing moment.

  “Awe, is the chi finally done holding back.” Luna asks with a smirk.