(Every character depicted in the story below is a consenting legal adult over the age of 18)

A/N: Amadeus has a ‘Devil May Care’ attitude… pun intended.

-x-X-x-

Admittedly, Amadeus’ first impulse is to protest. After all, he never agreed to reincarnating all three of them! However, he ultimately stops short of actually saying that out loud. After all… why not? It wasn’t like he had any other use for his Evil Pieces. The only piece that already had someone in line for it was his Queen. Amadeus would accept nobody else except for Grayfia as his Queen, at the end of the day. But the rest… the rest were ultimately extraneous.

And who was he to break up such a lovely group of women? Not just a group of women… a group of musicians. In fact, the more he thinks about it, the more excited he gets by the prospect.

“If that is your wish… then I am willing to make that happen.”

Out of the three, only Rumi protests.

“Girls… you can’t just give up your humanity for me!”

Mira scoffs at that while Zoey grins.

“And why not? We already gave up on having normal lives when we became hunters in the first place.”

“Yeah! All we’re doing now is making sure we stay together… no matter what!”

Rumi looks rather lost at this… and perhaps more than a little touched. She’s still holding hands with the other two girls after all, and Amadeus can tell that the bond between the three of them is nigh-unbreakable. Certainly, they’ll liven up his life he figures.

Of course, if they’re going to do this… then he’ll have to summon Grayfia so she can bring him the case with the Evil Pieces in it. Glancing at Rumi, Zoey, and Mira and seeing that none of them have their soul weapons out at the moment, Amadeus figures it should be fine to do so now. Grayfia definitely doesn’t need to know that the first time he went off on his own he was threatened multiple times by magical weapons, no sir!

“Very well. Since you appear to be in agreement, I will summon my head maid now so she might bring me the pieces I need to reincarnate you all.”

The trio all look interested at that, Rumi in spite of herself and Mira feigning nonchalance. Only Zoey is outright not even trying to hide her excitement. Amadeus… well, he snaps his fingers to add a little flair while at the same time reaching out and sending Grayfia the summons along with instructions to bring the Evil Pieces.

She might not be a part of his peerage just yet, but she is a part of his household, so it’s no surprise when the ground glows beside him and Grayfia rises up out of the glow with the case they’d stolen from Satan Beelzebub’s territory in her hands.

“Master. You-!”

Whatever Grayfia might have said, she winds up choking on the words as her eyes land upon Rumi, Mira, and Zoey on the couch in front of them. Amadeus blinks as the trio of girls do the same, the sudden silence growing awkward fast until Zoey finally breaks it.

“Uh… hi there?”

Furrowing his brow, Amadeus clears his throat.

“Girls, this is Grayfia. Grayfia, this is-”

“Huntrix.”

When she finishes his sentence for him, Amadeus blinks again.

“Yes… how did you know?”

Zoey gasps in delight.

“Ohmygod! Do you listen to our music?! Are we famous down in Hell?!”

Oh. Wait, that could be it… was Zoey correct? Amadeus peers at Grayfia curiously, noticing how she seems to be darting her gaze back and forth the members of Huntrix like she can hardly believe her eyes.

“… Grayfia?”

Hearing her name from his lips seems to knock his eternally faithful and devoted servant out of her stupor, however. Quick as a whip, Grayfia spins around, turning so that she’s right next to him and facing away from the girls. Her voice is lowered as she speaks in a furious whisper to Amadeus.

“Master, these are some of the most famous musicians in not just the human world but also the Underworld. Are you seriously considering converting them and bringing them into your peerage?”

Amadeus soaks that in. The most famous musicians on Earth AND in the Underworld… well fuck, now he really had to hear some of their music. This probably wasn’t the time to ask though, was it? It would be rather inappropriate, what with Rumi literally dying by the second as his temporary infusion of energy runs out.

“Well… yes, I am. Rumi at the very least needs it… otherwise she’ll die. She’s half-demon, half-human and is already on death’s door.”

That admission causes Grayfia to blink and whip her head around to stare at Rumi for a long moment. Rumi and her friends all freeze in the face of Grayfia’s intense, piercing gaze, even as Grayfia’s brow furrows harder and harder until she finally looks back at him.

“How is that even possible? She shouldn’t have survived being born, let alone made it to adulthood without cannibalizing herself.”

Amadeus shrugs and gives a very truncated and shortened version of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey’s tale of woe. Grayfia listens closely, slowly nodding along before grimacing as she looks down at the case in her hands.

“… I ask again, Master… are you sure you wish to spend your valuable pieces on something like this? It might bring a lot of attention down on our heads if certain people find out they’ve been reincarnated as devils. Some will insist on knowing who their King is. And… a peerage is as much a shield as it is a sword. We can probably find you more powerful servants than these three.”

Amadeus breathes out through his nose for a moment at that… before ultimately shaking his head and speaking back to his head maid in a quiet tone.

“I don’t really care about having powerful servants, Grayfia. I don’t need a sword or a shield, really. Not when I have an invisibility cloak and the best damn maid that’s ever been born.”

Grayfia blushes at that, causing Amadeus to offer her a small grin.

“And really, I already said I’d help Rumi. I’m not going to go back on my word now so… let’s save her first and then go from there, okay?”

Grayfia purses her lips together in a thin line that makes Amadeus think she still has some reservations about his decision… but won’t continue to argue the point when he’s all but put his foot down. In the end, their power dynamic is not that of equals no matter what he might have wished, so she’ll always inevitably follow his lead if she can’t convince him of something.

Nodding sharply to show as much, Grayfia turns back around to the girls on the couch, all of whom blink as she stalks over to the table and sets down the case in front of them. Opening it, Grayfia reveals the Evil Pieces within and clears her throat.

“These are called Evil Pieces. They allow a Devil like my Master, Lord Amadeus, to reincarnate non-devils such as yourselves into Reincarnated Devils. To become a member of a peerage, especially my Master’s peerage, is an incredibly great honor. I hope you all understand that.”

Rumi, Zoey, and Mira all exchange glances with one another in the face of Grayfia’s icy words. Then, they glance to him. From behind Grayfia’s back, Amadeus gives them all a smile and a shake of his head, trying to convey that it’s really not as serious as Grayfia is trying to make it out to be. Of course, he has to stop after a moment before Grayfia seems to sense something and looks back to him, forcing him to tense up and offer a bland, innocent smile.

While she’s narrowing her eyes at him, Zoey is reaching forward for the case, a curious noise building in the back of her throat.

“Evil Pieces is kind of on the nose, isn’t it? Also weird Chess Theme you’ve got-eep!”

Without looking away from him, Grayfia’s hand lashes out with blinding speed and slaps Zoey away from the case. Only after the poor girl has pulled back with a pout, nursing her smacked hand, does Grayfia turn back around and level a fresh piercing stare at the members of Huntrix.

“Neither I nor my Master decided the motif or the naming convention. But they will work. And we will start with your lead vocalist, seeing as she’s the one currently dying.”

Mira leans forward a bit at that, not reaching for the case like Zoey tried but definitely smirking.

“So you do know exactly who we are. Is Zoey right? Are we seriously famous even in Hell? Or are you just personally a fan?”

Grayfia’s nostrils flare as she gives Mira a gimlet side eye.

“I have… seen large posters of all three of you down in the Underworld, which is where Devil Society exists, not Hell. Your music is… played constantly in most cities and by most younger devils, yes. You have… one or two catchy tunes.”

Mira leans back with a satisfied smirk on her lips.

“Sounds about right. Let’s get with the saving Rumi thing then, shall we?”

Even Amadeus can’t hold back his grin at this point. He thinks Grayfia is more of a fan of Huntrix than she’s willing to admit… or at the very least, she knows more about them then she’s admitted so far. Still, at Mira’s words, Grayfia simply nods and then looks to him expectantly.

“Come forth Master… and claim the first member of your peerage.”

Amadeus’ grin drops a little at that, even as he moves forward to the couch. For all that Grayfia’s tone is reverent and excited for him as he steps up to the case, Amadeus can’t help but be disappointed. The first member of his peerage should have been Grayfia. If only he was stronger, he could have made her his Queen already.

… But that would come in time. For now, he looks from Rumi to the case and hums.

“What do you think you most embody, Rumi? Rook, Knight, or Bishop?”

Rumi tilts her head to the side at that, blinking owlishly.

“I… don’t know. I’ve never played Chess before.”

You know what, fair enough. However, Grayfia clears her throat and leans in.

“I would suggest starting with a single pawn, Master. You do not want to ‘over-spend’ and waste your more powerful pieces if you do not have to.”

Hm? Amadeus furrows his brow at that; not sure he really cared for that sort of thing. Over-spending? Wasting powerful pieces? Grayfia should realize by now… none of that mattered to him one bit.

Still, he does initially reach for the pawns in the case, brushing his fingers across them with the intent of trying one on Rumi. However… unlike with Grayfia, where he didn’t realize it wasn’t doable until he was trying to push the Queen piece into her upper chest, this time Amadeus immediately can tell that one pawn wouldn’t be enough. It would cost multiple pawns to reincarnate Rumi from what he was sensing.

He moves his hand to the Knight next… and can tell that a single Knight wouldn’t be enough either. Same with a Bishop. Finally, his fingers brush against one of his Rooks and Amadeus can immediately tell that it would be just enough.

One Rook or five Pawns… as Grayfia watches on in silence, Amadeus considers the math for a moment… before shrugging and lifting the Rook out of the case. Stepping up to Rumi, he offers her his most reassuring smile, which she returns hesitantly as he places the Rook against her chest.

Unlike with Grayfia, where it failed entirely, there’s a flash of light this time and the Rook disappears inside of Rumi, entering the half-demon, half-human woman and transforming her into a devil right then and there. There’s a bit of a red light show… and then it’s done, Rumi letting out a shuddering gasp as she stares at him for a moment before looking down at herself.

Zoey and Mira immediately crowd in close on either side, concern etched across their own pretty faces.

“Rumi? Are you okay?”

“How are you feeling, Rums?”

“I… I feel fine… no, better than fine. I’m not… I feel good. Like I’m not…”

She trails off, prompting Amadeus to finish her sentence with an amused lilt to his voice.

“Like you’re not eating yourself from the inside out anymore?”

Huffing a bit as she reddens, Rumi nods. Of course, Mira isn’t about to let them leave it at just that.

“What else are you feeling, Rumi? Do you suddenly love our resident pretty boy devil here? Do you suddenly adore him with all your heart? Is he your new Master who you can’t help but obey and serve for all eternity or something?”

If it was from Zoey, Amadeus imagines those words would have been more teasing. But Mira is serious… she’s actually checking to see if Rumi has been changed at all mentally. Rumi just blinks and slowly shakes her head.

“Um… no, none of that. At least, I don’t think so. I mean… besides the obvious.”

Mira narrows her eyes at that, while Zoey looks a little worried.

“What’s the obvious, Rumi?”

Rumi, looking like she’s been caught out, goes bright red and mumbles something under her breath. Of course, her friends can’t hear here and force her to repeat herself more intelligibly. Which she chooses to do by shouting instead.

“I-I just said he’s incredibly attractive, o-okay!”

Silence falls for a moment as Rumi looks at all of them, especially her girls, pleadingly.

“I can’t be the only one who noticed, right? Amadeus is otherworldly. Even his maid isn’t as unnaturally attractive as he is!”

Zoey and Mira look at Rumi and then at each other and then to him for a long moment. Just long enough for Rumi to grow more and more embarrassed… before finally, they both crack grins.

“No yeah, you’re totally right Rumi. Amadeus is super-hot.”

“Oh yeah, can’t even deny it. Unfairly hot, really. And I hadn’t noticed that, but his maid isn’t as hot as he is. And while you’re still as hot as ever, becoming a devil didn’t make you hotter So its not an ‘all devils’ thing, it’s just a him thing…”

Rumi looks relieved but now Amadeus is the one who has a problem, feeling heat rising to his own cheeks as they talk about him like he isn’t even there. Clearing his throat and trying to get things back on track, Amadeus gestures to the open case.

“What pieces would you two like to be reincarnated with?”

The remaining humans both jolt at that, looking caught off guard.

“Wait, we get to choose?”

“Why didn’t Rumi?”

“Rumi could only be reincarnated by a Rook or multiple Pawns, so she got a Rook. You’re both a little bit more… flexible.”

Unlike Rumi, he can already tell that Mira and Zoey aren’t going to be as costly. Rumi must have had a lot more latent personal potential then the two of them, while they both relied a lot more on the Honmoon for their powers… which no longer existed since Rumi apparently ate it.

That said, Amadeus sees no reason to force Mira or Zoey into the role of pawns when they could instead take more powerful pieces and grow into that power over time. As long as he still had his Queen free from Grayfia, it really didn’t matter.

Only… Grayfia doesn’t agree and this time she can’t help but speak up, showing a rare case of disagreement with him in front of others.

“I must strongly advise against allowing them to choose Master. From what I can tell, each are worth only one or two pawns at this point. Spending anything more on them… would be a waste.”

Amadeus frowns and shakes his head.

“I don’t agree, Grayfia. As you well know, I didn’t have any plans for these pieces to begin with… all I wanted was the Queen and I have that now. If Zoey and Mira want to be either a Knight or a Bishop, or even my last Rook, I truly don’t mind.”

Grayfia makes an unhappy noise, prompting Amadeus to sigh. They really shouldn’t be hashing this out in front of others, but Rumi was already a part of his peerage now and Zoey and Mira were about to join up so… fuck it.

“Look… it’s not like I’m planning to join New Satan Society any time soon. I don’t need my peerage to be perfect or as powerful as possible.”

That makes Grayfia tilt her head to the side before finally huffing.

“… I suppose it’s true that you won’t exactly be taking the Rating Game Circuit by storm any time soon…”

Amadeus chuckles and nods. He doesn’t even know what a ‘Rating Game Circuit’ is, but he’s glad that Grayfia seems to be coming around to his way of thinking at least.

Of course, as they finish their little aside, its clear that they’ve piqued Huntrix’s curiosity. When he looks back, its to see all three looking at the two of them with intrigued expressions. Zoey is the first to break the silence, glancing down into the case again.

“… What did you want the Queen for specifically?”

Grayfia stiffens at the question, but Amadeus just shrugs and gestures to her.

“For Grayfia here.”

That causes Rumi to frown.

“Why haven’t you done it yet then?”

Sighing, Amadeus looks down at the open case.

“… I’m not strong enough yet. Grayfia is much stronger than me, so in order to make her my Queen, I have to get stronger still.”

The Huntrix girls all chew on this for a moment before Mira grunts.

“Wait, but isn’t she already a devil? What would be the point?”

Here, Amadeus gives Grayfia an unabashedly adoring smile and answers the question with complete honesty.

“Love.”

Grayfia very carefully doesn’t meet his or the other’s eyes at that, but her face is scarlet with embarrassment and mortification. Meanwhile, his answer seems to send a jolt of something through Rumi, Mira, and Zoey as they all exchange looks with one another.

He half-expects them to continue the impromptu interrogation, but instead after a moment… Zoey and Mira wordlessly reach into the case and take up the pieces they want him to use to reincarnate them.

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A/N: Remember to Vote, leave a Like, and let me know what you think!