Ch 156: Making a deal with the devil.

Akeno and the others had spent only three days inside the sanctuary, a little more than three hours in real time, when they all came out of it. It was about time for lunch with the others. Ciel and Caren were both trussed up into black neoprene sleeping bags, tightly laced around their bodies, and their heads hidden inside black leather discipline helmets keeping them blind, deaf and mute. She and Britomart laid them on the bed and used a few lengths of rope to secure the sleeping bags to the headboard and floorboard. The two girls from the inquisition would stay put no matter how much they struggled. And they still struggled a lot after three days of relentless torment.

She had only taken them out of the Sanctuary because she had stupidly charged it with too much of her mana, insuring it would run with a 20x time compression for almost a full day outside, and as she intended to have lunch with the others and chat for a while, they might have died of dehydration if left inside.

"Senpai, will they be okay like this?" asked Sakura with a dubious expression.

"Yes. I gave them food and water a few minutes ago, and they're moaning and squirming vigorously. Do you feel sympathy for them?"

"Maybe a little. I know they tried to kill me and everyone, but still, this is, quite extreme."

"Just think of it as a bit of though love, Sakura. They'll accept their fate faster if I strip them of the slightest hope of escaping, and once they do and become good girls, they will experience plenty of pleasure. They will remember with fondness this kind of thing."

"This isn't nearly as bad as it looks, Master." nodded Medusa. "…In fact, I'd like to experience what its like, to be treated like this for a while."

Akeno grinned.

"You are quite the natural masochist, Medusa. Later today when we return inside, You'll get to experience what they're feeling right now. And I'll likely add an anal plug, just for fun. Are you okay with this, Sakura?"

"Yes, Senpai." smiled Sakura. "Medusa should also receive training for anal play. Because she likes being tormented."

Medusa, who was dressed with casual clothes and had removed her usual blindfold, revealing beautiful purple eyes, and hidden her forehead tattoo, fidgeted under Sakura's playful gaze. She liked to be bound and teased in a sexual way from the start, but when Sakura was the one pointing it out, she somehow felt more embarrassed about her preferences.

"…Yes. Master… Please train me to your convenience." said Medusa with a lowered gaze.

Akeno looked at Sakura with a fond smile. After spending a lot of time together with her and watching her interactions with her Servant, Akeno now had a good idea of Sakura's personality, as well as the influence Angra Mainu likely had on her. There was a darkness within Sakura's soul, that translated into a bit of a sadistic side when she interacted with Medusa, and a slight tendency to act like a yandere, of being somewhat overprotective where Akeno was concerned.

That was one aspect that Akeno didn't want to encourage too much, as it would be problematic if Sakura developed a desire to monopolize her or grow violent with the other girls, but so far, Sakura didn't seem to be heading in that direction, and the last stage of the Crest, giving her a desire to add more girls to the harem, would help. Later on, when more girls would be affectionate with Sakura, her infatuation with Akeno would be tempered. Probably.

"The others must be worried. Let's not make them wait too much."

Sakura sobered instantly and steeled herself.

"Yes, Senpai. I am ready to do it."

Akeno nodded and gave Sakura a quick kiss of encouragement.

Opening the door of the bedroom for Sakura and Medusa, she followed them outside. Sakura walked to the living room, where everyone was waiting.

Sakura bowed deeply.

"Everyone, I am so sorry! I did something very stupid and worried you. I have reflected a lot and I understand how wrong I was. Please accept my apology."

Rin jumped to her feet, walked to Sakura, forced her to raise from her bowing posture and hugged her tightly.

"I was worried, Sakura." she said in a low voice. "Never bail on me again."

"Yes, Tohsaka-senpai. I promise." nodded Sakura with a choked voice.

Rin released her sister and looked at her carefully.

"Are you okay, Sakura? Really okay? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"It-It's fine. Akeno senpai is helping me deal with, my trauma. I feel better already. I need more time, but…"

"Sakura's healing is a work in progress. It needs time, but things are going well so far." said Akeno with a nod and a smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. What about the two from the Inquisition?" asked Rin.

"Again, a work in progress. Is there any news from the Church?"

"Yes." said Asuka. "They spoke to the Association, and the Association relayed the message to us. The official position of the Church is that Caren acted on her own, and that attack was unsanctioned. Whether that is true or not is up to our personal belief. But they requested for Caren and Ciel, is that the name of the blue-haired one?" Akeno nodded and Asuka continued.

"Well, they want them released, so they can stand trial before the Inquisition. Like I'm going to believe this for a second."

"I see." said Akeno. "That may be a problem. Have they given a deadline?"

"No. But I don't think they'll be very patient." said Rin.

Akeno thought for a while, then sighed. "If I have to release them now, they will expose to the Church that I possess an artifact that creates a reality marble with time compression, and that might make the Church greedy… Unless the Mage Association itself demand I release them, I'll just ignore the Church."

"I hope this won't result into my home becoming a battlefield. I'd like for it to remain intact, if you don't mind." frowned Rin.

Akeno nodded. "We'll try to end the Holy Grail War as soon as possible. Once that's done, we should be able to go to London, study Magecraft for a while, and then go to Antarctica. I doubt the Church would want to mess with us once we become part of the Association. For now, I'll go join Tamamo in the kitchen. I'm hungry."

"Please allow me to assist." said Medea, volunteering herself.

"Of course." smiled Akeno.

In the kitchen, Tamamo greeted Akeno and returned to her preparations.

"What are we making today, Tamamo?" smiled Akeno.

"A classic! chicken curry with rice and vegetables."

"Sounds good." said Akeno as she took an apron and gave another to Medea, who awkwardly started putting it over her magician robe.

"Medea, that robe seems to be heavy. Do you really intend to cook with it on?"

"Master, I… would rather keep my face hidden."

"Why? Sorry if I'm being insensitive or nosy, but if you have scars or something, I can easily heal them, you know?"

"That is…" fidgeted Medea.

"Show me, Medea. I promise I won't laugh or mock you, whatever it is."

Medea hesitated, then sighed and removed the outer layer of her outfit, revealing her face. She was beautiful, with a perfect face, lilac eyes, and waist-long light blue hair, some of it styled into two long braids behind her ears. Pointy ears. Not elf-level of pointy, but definitely more than normal for a human.

Akeno blinked as she saw Medea's expression, who looked like she was expecting to be scolded.

"Well, you are beautiful, as expected." nodded Akeno. "I don't see anything wrong. Do you have a complex about your ears? Or maybe you're just very shy?"

"B-beautiful?" asked Medea, her eyes wide.

"Yes? Tamamo, what do you think?" asked Akeno, looking over her shoulder.

"Yes, Medea is beautiful! Dear husband will be pleased!" grinned Tamamo with a wink.

"Are we missing something, Medea?"

"That is… I was often told… That I was ugly and should hide my face in public."

"Ah?" angrily exclaimed Akeno. "What kind of blind moron ever told you this? Ah, was it Jason?"

"…Yes."

Akeno hugged Medea tightly. "I heard that man was a scum and abused you a lot. In fact, that's one of the reasons Noah wanted us to steal you from that other scum Atrum Galliasta. He wants to give you a happy life for a change, and so are we!"

"Yes." said Tamamo. "It would be a pity to hide your beauty, Medea! You may want to use a glamor spell to hide your pointy ears in public, but you have no reason to feel ashamed!"

Medea trembled and nodded shyly.

"I'll help you become confident again, Medea." smiled Akeno gently as she released her Servant. "From now on, you must not cover your face when inside this house. And when you feel a little more comfortable, you won't hide it outside either."

"I will try, Master." said Medea with a voice heavy with emotion.

"Thank you. Just wait until the others see you, I guarantee you that no one will call you ugly. Well, let's help Tamamo."

…

Medea smiled to herself as she drank a cup of tea. They had just finished lunch, and as Akeno predicted, she had only received words of praise over her appearance. Most had just watched her, and nodded with a smile.

Rin grumbled as she headed for the kitchen. It was her turn to wash the dishes. Sakura looked at her and was about to help, when Akeno put a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

Sakura's face reddened, but she nodded, and took some dirty plates to bring to the kitchen. Once there, she took a deep breath, and opened her mouth.

"I will help you with the dishes… Nee-san."

"Oh, hum, yeah, thank you…. Ehhhhhh?" suddenly shouted Rin, as she finally registered how Sakura had called her.

"Is it… weird?" asked Sakura as she blushed intensely and fidgeted.

"N-No, it isn't weird at all!" said Rin as the tsundere also blushed and turned her head away. "It is… good!"

Because she had looked away, she noticed Akeno standing just outside the kitchen. Akeno grinned with a thumbs up and turned away.

Rin felt further embarrassment at her reaction being seen, but she was still happy. The distance between her and Sakura was decreasing.

…

Satisfied with the outcome of her little suggestion, Akeno decided Sakura and Medusa needed to spend some time outside of the Sanctuary to socialize, and came to find Artoria. She was discussing with Chisato, Miwa and Asuka about their experiences in their own worlds.

"Artoria, can you come with me for a few hours?" sweetly asked Akeno.

"Hours? Or maybe, days?" wondered Artoria with a smile, as she guessed Akeno's intentions.

"Days. We'll be back before dinner."

Artoria nodded and made a point of ignoring Chisato's and Asuka's grins as she followed Akeno into her bedroom. She raised an eyebrow at the two black shapes tied to the bed.

"They're going back inside with us. The more time I have with them, the better. " said Akeno as she started removing the ropes.

"Are you going to… involve them this time?" asked Artoria with a slight blush.

"I don't plan to. Why? Would you like to experience a threesome?"

"I guess I will participate in one at some point. But I'd prefer if things remained more… intimate, for now."

Akeno chuckled as she took Ciel in her arms. "I'd also prefer for things to remain that way for a while."

Once inside, Akeno freed Ciel and Karen from their sleeping bags, retied them with pairs of leather cuffs to their wrists and above the elbows, and was about to remove their hoods, gags and ear plugs before locking them in the cage, when she got an idea. She walked closer to Artoria and spoke in a low voice.

"Artoria, be a good girl and select from this room what you would want me to use on you, or want to wear. But I won't join you immediately. I will keep them blindfolded, but not gagged. I want to see if they'll speak to each other when they think they're alone, and what they will say."

"I see." nodded Artoria, her ahoge twitching in anticipation. At least, that was how Akeno interpreted its movement. "They may not fall for a ruse so simple, but it is worth trying."

While Akeno watered the two captives and had them relieve themselves on the toilet, Artoria explored the room and decided on wanting to take a black latex outfit made of three pieces. black latex pants with a V shape that would leave her crotch free, a bolero top with long sleeves, and a latex hood that would only have two holes, one for a ponytail and a larger hole at the front that would leave most of her nose and her mouth free. The hood also had two small inflatable pouches that, once inflated with air, would imitate bunny ears.

The outfit Artoria had chosen was an inverted bunny suit. It would leave her crotch, belly and breasts bare, while the rest of her body would be covered by the shiny black latex. The bunny hood didn't have holes for the eyes, but it was enhanced with a Light rune, and Akeno would be able to allow Artoria to see through via the app on her smartphone, if she chose to.

Akeno nodded in approval, and Artoria moved around to select a collar and a few other restraints.

Akeno finished redressing the two captives and stretched over their heads hoods similar to the one Artoria had chosen, but without the bunny ears. She locked them in their cages, and turned to Artoria.

"Ufufu, now that those two are safely put away, let's have some fun together, Saber. I feel like having you bound spread-eagled to the bed this time."

"Yes, Master." replied Artoria with an eagerness that wasn't entirely faked, heading for the door and opening it.

She passed through, leaving a few seconds to simulate Akeno going with her, but Akeno had stopped by the door, drawing a Stop rune on herself to stop any noise she might make. After Artoria closed the door, Akeno slowly moved toward the wooden bondage chair, sat on it without a sound, and waited.

…

Ciel shifted her sitting position as she tried to focus on her hearing. She suspected that one, maybe even both of her captors, might still be in the room, waiting for Caren or herself to let slip something important. Surely Akeno wouldn't think she would manage to trick them with such a childish trick… would she?

She couldn't really take her being deprived of her sight as a clue that they were using that trick, because Akeno, that perverted girl, had kept them blindfolded or hooded almost constantly. She had to admit, keeping her blind was a good move on Akeno's part. It made Ciel feel more helpless, and robbed her of any distraction that might distract her from the denial.

The bodysuit covering her body switched to another mode. The vibrations on her crotch and breasts stopped, but Ciel now felt like she was being licked, and she gritted her teeth to stifle a groan. In the few days since she was being subjected to the relentless torture of this accursed garment, she found the licking the hardest to endure. She was sure that Akeno had somehow done something to her, or she would have orgasmed many times already.

However, for all her cunning, Akeno had made a mistake.

Ciel would readily admit that this method of torment would work on the average person. Everyone had a breaking point, and being relentlessly teased right to or even past the edge would quickly make almost anyone willing to do anything for an orgasm.

But Ciel wasn't anyone. She had spent decades struggling against Roa's will for control of her own body. And the Church had spent a lot of time trying to find a loophole in her immortality. She had been starved, drowned, burned at the stake, decapitated, had her body pierced by blades countless times, and suffered every torture the church could think of. And, Ciel admitted ruefully, they had a lot of imagination when it came to that.

In the end, they had given up on trying to kill her and wanted to entomb her somewhere, to stuff her into a thick metal coffin, bury her deep, and forget she ever existed. Ciel, feeling guilty about the actions Roa had done while he controlled her body, for her failure to stop him, had suggested working for them instead, to redeem herself, and in the hope that she would one day find Roa's new incarnation, and end him once and for all.

But if there was one thing this part of her life was good at, it was giving her willpower and a tolerance for intense stimuli far beyond that of a normal person. Akeno's torture wasn't much, compared to the Church's tender care, and Ciel didn't feel like breaking anytime soon. Actually, the only thing that worried her a little was that she was starting to have fantasies about being edged and kept in bondage. If this kept up for too long, she might end up developing an addiction to it.

And she didn't want to become a masochist like Caren.

Still, for the past few days, Ciel had a lot of time to think. To remember not just everything she was told by the Church, but everything she had seen with her own eyes, heard with her own ears. And time to think about Akeno's claims. After a lot of introspection, such as she could while ignoring the suit's persistent demands for her attention, she had concluded that Akeno was likely telling the truth. And, if her claims about her goals were also honest… She took a deep breath, and decided to take a chance.

"Akeno, I know you're still here. I want to speak with you."

"Uh?" came Caren's voice from her left. She had been moaning and groaning for a while, clearly enjoying what the bodysuit was doing to her body.

No other sound came from the room, and Ciel wondered if she had incorrectly guessed Akeno's intentions.

"Come on, I want to make a deal! If you accept my condition, I'll be your slave, and you can do anything to me."

"Ciel… You need to endure… ah… the Inquisition will not forgive betrayal!" gasped Caren, but Ciel ignored her.

"Hello?"

Maybe they were truly alone in the room after all. Ciel was about to resign herself to wait until their captor came back, when the licking on her breasts and clit suddenly stopped.

She heard footsteps coming closer, and the door of her cage being unlocked and opened. Ciel felt hands touching her nape, removing the collar, then the hood. She blinked for a moment as her eyes got used to the room's lighting, and fingers brushed her hair away from her face. Akeno was standing in front of her, studying her with interest.

"I'm listening." said Akeno.

"You said that you and the person you represent, Noah, both wanted the make the world a better place. Does that mean you are going to hunt down the True Ancestors?"

"…Do you maybe have a True Ancestor friend you would not want us to harm? Or maybe a grudge?"

"…More than just a grudge."

"About a specific one, or all of them?"

"Most of them, but one in particular. He killed, many people I cared about. And he made me watch."

Akeno considered her for a few seconds, but nodded.

"If your revenge target is an unrepentant murderer, yes, we will go after him. And we possess a special ability. It is sealed at the moment, but once it becomes usable again, as long as we have the name and appearance of that True Ancestor, we will be able to track him down, no matter how much he disguises himself or where he goes to hide."

"Ciel, don't say anything more!" gasped Caren. "She is trying to trick you into damnation!... Ah…"

"One minute, please." said Akeno with a frown as she walked to a shelf and picked… Ciel's eyes widened as she saw a gag harness. The mouthpiece would look like a blue rubber ball from the outside, but extending from that ball was a long, thick rubber cock that would more than fill the wearer's mouth and probably extend to their throat. The rubber cock seemed so big that Ciel feared Caren would choke on it.

Akeno crouched in front of Caren's cage and put a hand through the bars. She seized the D-ring fixed to the front of Caren's collar, and Caren gasped as her face was forced closer.

Before the could protest, Akeno shoved the gag into her open mouth, then started to fasten the straps of the harness around Caren's hooded head.

Caren gurgled loudly, but Ciel could easily hear her blissful undertone. The gag was certainly effective at making her quieter, but she loved it.

"You can easily breathe through your mouth. The gag is hollow." said Akeno when she was done, before standing and coming back to Ciel.

"Sorry for the interruption."

"I want to participate, when you will go after Roa. I want to see him die. If you accept, you can do anything to me. I'll be your sex slave or whatever you want. As long as you don't want me to harm innocents."

"You seem rather blasé about what would be a lifelong commitment." smiled Akeno. "Are you certain you would allow me to do anything I want with you?  I warn you, your agreement would be magically enforced. There would be no takeback."

"Yes." nodded Ciel. "I would be willing to die, if that was what it took to kill Roa. Except that I can't actually die. And… I believe you are a good person."

"Ara ara, me, a good person?" incredulously asked Akeno with a tilt of the head. "After I put you in a cage and subjected you to edging for days? Did I go too easy on you?"

Ciel only shrugged. "Well, you are a pervert, there's no doubts about that. But I have been tortured by others before, and I can tell the difference. There is no malice or contempt if your eyes when you look at Caren and me. When you give us food and water, or make us go to the toilet, there is no… how to say it… there is no underlying brutality, in the way you handle us."

Akeno scratched her chin thoughtfully as she considered Ciel's words.

"…You have a point. But do you trust that assessment of my personality enough to sign a Soul Contract and irrevocably join my faction today? When going after this Roa would not be something we would do right away?"

"Yes. You warning me that I would have to wait that is further proof that you are a good person." replied Ciel, increasingly confident in her judgement. "A ruthless individual would make me sign a Geis, and only afterward would tell me to be patient, when it would be too late for me to rethink it."

Akeno nodded and helped Ciel out of the cage, making her sit on the chair and removing her restraints. She then used soul magic to create a Slave Contract, with an added clause that in return for her devotion, Noah and his subordinates would investigate the True Ancestor Roa's whereabouts and past actions, and if judging him an irredeemable evildoer, would kill him.

She gave the contract to Ciel. "This, Ciel, is the standard contract most of us signed, as part of Noah's faction. With the exception of the added clause related to your grudge. The terms are deliberately harsh, but this is more of a roleplay thing, and should not be taken as an indication of how Noah's slaves are treated in reality."

Ciel carefully read the Slave Contract, and nodded.

"I consent to those terms." declared Ciel.

"You need to sign it with a drop of your blood, said Akeno, creating a needle made of light, and Ciel pricked her finger without hesitation before smearing some blood on the contract, who burst into flames and disappeared."

"Welcome to the family, Ciel." smiled Akeno.

"I do not feel any different." said Ciel with a frown.

"Where you expecting anything?" grinned Akeno. "You will feel something very different happening once your loyalty toward Noah reach a certain threshold. Then, you will… let's keep that a surprise. I do not want Caren to hear right now... Come here, Ciel."

Ciel followed Akeno to a leather-padded piece of furniture, obviously meant to restrain a person, from the leather straps connected at various spots.

Akeno taped the furniture with one hand, and Ciel obediently climbed over it, trying find a comfortable position.

Akeno fastened the straps on her body and limbs, securing her to the furniture, and put back on her the leather collar she had previously removed.

"Saber is waiting for me, so I will leave you there to simmer for a while. When I return, your training will start. You may have sworn your loyalty to us, but you still need to receive training, to learn how to be a good slave. If you keep being a good girl, I will remove the orgasm block."

"…Speaking about simmering, you won't get Caren to sign a Soul Contract with your current method."

Caren groaned loudly into her gag, but no one paid her attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Your method didn't really work on me because I have experienced much worse torture. This much is child play. A distracting child play, but I could endure edging for months and not break. But Caren? For this pervert, your method of torture is a reward. You aren't giving her any incentive to change her current situation. She will refuse to sign a Soul Contract just to prolong her torture."

"…I understand. I'll do something about her later… When I return, I'll take you upstairs, and then, tell me about your past."

Ciel nodded, and Akeno pressed a few touches on her smartphone. The licking started again, but at a lower intensity.

"See you later, Ciel." smiled Akeno as she turned toward the door.

Ciel nodded and leaned back against the furniture. She was still bound, but not gagged or hooded, and the teasing was less intense.

Caren made some noise in her gag, expressing her discontent over her companion's betrayal, but Ciel didn't really care. She wanted to kill Roa, and Akeno and the mysterious man she had just sworn herself to seemed to offer her better odds, with how easily Ciel and the other inquisitors had been crushed. And she didn't mind ditching the Church.

As Akeno had said, the Church wasn't worthy of loyalty. She's had her doubts before, thinking that while imperfect, a cynical and cold-hearted Inquisition was still better to protect humanity than no Inquisition at all, but discovering that the Church sometimes murdered the protectors Alaya created shattered that notion. She had a feeling that Akeno and her companions would prove a better alternative.

…

"How did it go?" asked Artoria, dressed in the reverse bunny suit outfit, without the hood.

"Ciel had seen through my trick from the start." grinned Akeno as she shook her head.

"Well, there had to be a reason for you not gagging them. You don't seem to be the forgetful kind when it comes to putting people in bondage." smiled Artoria.

"Indeed. Put your hands behind your back, my cute bunny."

Akeno started fastening leather cuffs around Artoria's wrists.

"However, it was quite profitable. Ciel surprised me by suggesting a deal, and I accepted. We'll help her deal with her revenge target, an evil True Ancestor named Roa. In return, she agreed to become my slave."

"It sounds a little too convenient." frowned Artoria.

"I can detect lies, remember? She meant every word, and she signed a Soul Contract. She cannot disobey me or betray me now."

"So what happens to them now?"

"I will train Ciel into a proper slave, nurturing her loyalty until it becomes enough for her to share Noah's abilities. Once she does, well, one more reliable companion, and one more squatter in Rin's home. We'll have to do something about our lodging situation, or she will eventually lose patience. Maybe we'll start using the sanctuary as secondary accommodations."

Akeno used black leather straps to bind her second Servant's legs to her thighs in a frog-tie and kissed Artoria, who eagerly answered. Akeno took the bunny hood laying on the side of the bed and started stretching it over Artoria's head.

"As for Caren, Ciel thinks her colleague, or should I say, former colleague, is too much of a masochist to break from being edged. And after watching Caren still being lively after three days of this, I tend to agree. So, I will make a bet, while also making a move to placate the Church. I'm going to just let her go."

"Let her go?"

"Yes. With a message to the Church, telling them that Ciel has willingly chosen our side, that she is under our protection, and to back off if they know what is good for them."

"I see. What I do not see, however, is the bet."

"…I will keep that a secret for a while."

"…as you wish." nodded Artoria as Akeno zipped the hood shut. Artoria's face, aside from her nose, lips and chin, was now hidden under the glossy latex. And her Ahoge peaked upward proudly, despite the hood not having any hole to let the strands of hair out. It seemed that, in this world at least, the Law of the Ahoge trumped the law or matter permeability. Not that Akeno intended to try to stop it, as she found it cute. As a test, she lightly pinched the ahoge, and she felt the hair struggle to escape her fingers, while Artoria frowned. Her smile returned as soon as Akeno released her hostages.

Shaking her head in bafflement and wondering if Nero's ahoge was the same, Akeno fastened the special slave collar around Artoria's neck, took an air pump to inflate the fake bunny ears, and took a few photos with her smartphone.

Satisfied, Akeno set the bunny hood's vision setting to visible. From the outside, the hood only presented a smooth black surface, but Artoria could now see through it. Akeno grinned as she took a mirror from her inventory and let Artoria see her own appearance with the outfit, and Artoria seemed mesmerized by her own reflection.

"You are so beautiful. You look like a nameless, anonymous bunny girl slave, and this somehow gives me an urge to play with you roughly. To see your face twist in ecstasy as I thrust deep inside you. Are you ready to be toyed with?"

"Yes, Master." eagerly replied Artoria as Akeno took Corruption from her inventory.