Ch 66: Interrogation.

Noah hunted hollows until about noon, then teleported to Suzu. He wasn't surprised to see her busy spanking the latex-covered butt of a girl in strict bondage, standing on all four. He could tell from the sounds that the spanking was more playful than serious, and the sounds escaping the girl's gag were not moans of pain, far from it.

"That's a nice show."

Suzu turned to him, and her stern expression suddenly turned into a small smile.

"Master!"

"Hi again, Suzu. Is everything going well?"

"Yes, Master. I was rewarding this masochistic slut for being obedient this morning."

Noah nodded, watching the basement converted into a basic dungeon. Two more latex and leather covered girls were sitting in two cages, blindfolds sitting on their foreheads, watching him with worry.

Suzu put the girl she had just spanked into a sitting position and used a padlock to lock together the two mittens covering her hands behind her back and removed her blindfold.

"Slut, Toy, Plaything, this is Master. I sparred you so you could offer your bodies and souls to him."

"It's nice to meet you three." said Noah with a small smile and a nod.

"Suzu, have you questioned them yet?"

"No, Master. I wanted to get them a bit more needy before starting on it."

"I have some free time, so I'll give you a hand. I'll take, say, Plaything, off your hands for a bit."

"As you wish, Master."

The blonde girl whined when Noah used the keys Suzu handed to him, opened the cage, took the chain still connected to Mittelt's collar, and got her out of the cage.

With a hand on her head, he teleported to his own home, in one of the second basement's rooms. It was plunged in darkness.

"Mmph?"

Noah created a small ball of light and found the switch to turn the lights on.

Mittelt, aka Plaything, stared in fright at the man who claimed to be her master. He was handsome, and his eyes seemed gentle when he looked at her, but she was in this situation, bound, leashed, alone with him in an empty room, and with two vibrators still slowly torturing her.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not going to hurt you." He said, picking up her chain leash. "At least, as long as you don't try something stupid. I am going to ask you a few questions, and you will answer honestly. Understood?"

Mittelt nodded slowly. There wasn't much else she could do. At least, he seemed more friendly than her cruel 'Mistress'.

Her eyes widened when she saw him create a black leather sofa, and he sat on it. Still holding her leash, he had her kneel in front of him.

He removed her gag, and Mittelt opened and closed her jaw repeatedly,

"Water?"

"…Yes, please." said Mittelt.

A bottle of water appeared in his hands, and he helped her drink some. The fresh water felt very good, bringing relief to her parched throat.

"Let's start with the questions, then. Why did you attack Suzu?"

Mittelt looked down. She regretted so much her role in last night's events. But it was too late now.

"We wanted to gain some achievement. Something that would help us raise our status in the fallen angel hierarchy."

"I can understand that. You are technically at war with the devils. Still, you wounded my cute Suzu and tried to kill her, and that warrants some punishment, war or no war."

Mittelt has a hard time associating the word cute with the cold and cruel girl who was her tormentor, but she didn't try to argue.

"What were you fallen angels doing in Kuoh town? And make sure to address me as Master whenever you speak to me."

"We were, searching for people with sacred gears… Master. We heard rumors, about many of them being in the area."

"Why were you searching for them?"

"We wanted to deliver them to, an institution led by the fallen angels, who study sacred gear users, Master."

"And that is your first lie." said the man, his smile disappearing.

Mittelt tried to hide her fear. How had he known?

"You'll get a spanking for this one. I suggest you tell the truth, or I'll replace that chastity belt by a model much more aggressive, and I'll use that magic Suzu used to seal your powers to prevent you from getting an orgasm, no matter how much you are stimulated. Yes, it can do that, too. A few days of this, and you would be ready to give up an arm and a leg for an orgasm."

Mittelt gasped in shock as she imagined being subjected to what this man had just described. She would go insane!

"…It was Raynare's idea, Master. She had learned of a ritual that would allow us to steal sacred gears from their owners. She wanted to find one for each of us, so we could raise in status."

"And would the human beings subjected to this ritual survive it?"

Mittelt stared at her Master's eyes, and something in them told her he already knew the answer.

"No, Master." admitted Mittelt, lowering her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze anymore.

"Have you found any sacred gear user?"

"No, Master. We came here only two weeks ago, and our way of finding them is… crude and time-consumming."

"How do you identify sacred users?"

"We hid magic arrays in the city, Master. When a sacred gear owner would come close, The sacred gear's aura would react with the array and cause it to change, and when we checked on them at night, we could get an idea of the sacred gear's effects. But we didn't know when it happened exactly, or who the owner was. We were narrowing the possibilities day after day, when we noticed a Devil flying in the night's sky. At first, we feared that attacking her would bring on us the attention of the groups of devils who live near Kuoh Academy, so we just hid. But, after seeing her many times, and always alone…"

Mittelt gulped, searching for the best way to say it.

"You concluded that you could just kill an unaffiliated devil, and the two peerages attending Kuoh academy wouldn't notice or bother?"

Mittelt nodded.

"They would very much have noticed, since Suzu recently joined Rias's Gremory's peerage, and the Gremory are well known for considering their peerage members like family. And you do know that Venelana Gremory, Rias's mother, is one of the Great Satans, right?" said Master, smiling thinly.

Mittelt paled when she realized that their reckless attack might have triggered a manhunt they would have had no chance of escaping.

"A good thing it didn't happen. They wouldn't have shown mercy, like Suzu did. So, you came to Kuoh to search for sacred gears, but have yet to kill anyone. Did you kill anyone?"

"No, Master." hurriedly said Mittelt.

"Not even before coming here?"

"…I didn't, Master. But Raynare killed a devil before."

"Is Raynare the one with the black hair, or the one with the blue hair?"

"The one with the black hair, Master."

"Another attempt at gaining some achievements?"

"No, Master… Before going to Kuoh, we had a small territory in another city. We were patrolling it to kill hollows when we noticed an isolation barrier. The kind that blocks sounds and keep humans away without them noticing. The barrier was very weak, so we decided to enter it. What we found inside, was a pair of devils. They were, having their way, with a human woman. And she was clearly not consenting to it. Raynare immediately threw a light spear at the closest, killing him on the spot. The four of us cornered the other, and Dohnaseek delivered the killing blow."

"And the human woman?"

"We let her go. Whatever she told the cops, she wouldn't be believed. We got rid of the corpses, and the cops would later find bloodstains, but they wouldn't believe in anything supernatural."

"…I see."

Mittelt didn't move as he patted her head through the latex hood. The gesture was patronizing, demeaning, but also oddly felt a little comforting.

"Plaything, tell me about you."

Mittelt blushed a little at the reminder of the name engraved on her collar " I… My parents were both two-winged fallen angels, with a low social status. They were underlings in a group of a half-dozen fallen angels. When I was six, one day, our group was attacked by a bunch of exorcists. Mom told me to run, so I did. Some time later, a six-winged fallen angel found me and delivered me to an orphanage, that held other fallen angel kids. That is where I met Raynare, after she joined a few years later."

"We became friends. Raynare was, determined to rise through the ranks. One day, our orphanage was visited by Azazel, the leader of the fallen angels. Raynare fell in love with him, and her determination to become stronger grew, so that he would notice her. At fifteen, we got out of the orphanage with some money. Raynare and I started searching for companions, and we found Kalawarna and Dohnaseek. That was four months ago. We trained against each other to become stronger, but… gaining another pair of wings isn't that easy. And Raynare eventually heard from an acquaintance, an exiled researcher from the church, about the ritual to extract sacred gears from their users. And that is how we got into this mess."

"That acquaintance, do you have his or her name?"

"It was… Valper something. I do not remember exactly, Master. Raynare would be able to tell you."

"Valper… Valper Galilei? The guy working on holy swords?"

"Yes, Master, that's him."

Mittelt wondered why her master suddenly grinned.

"Would Raynare have a way to contact that person?"

"I think so, Master."

"…That's very interesting. He is someone that a friend of mine, a survivor of his disgusting human experiments, very much want to meet. I have no more questions for now, so let's deal with your spanking."

Mittelt resigned herself to her fate as her Master easily lifted her and put her across his knees. Without waiting, he started spanking her.

Mittelt had expect for it to be very painful, but it actually wasn't. He obviously was restraining himself. Actually, as the impacts spreading from her butt cheeks caused her chastity belt to jerk around each time, it only increased her arousal, and she couldn't stop a few gasps and moans from escaping her lips. She wanted, needed to cum, and her humiliation didn't matter anymore compared to her need.

After a while, he was done, and his hand gently rubbed her butt. He seemed to read her like a book, as he asked.

"Do you want to cum, slave? Do you want your Master's cock inside you?"

Mittelt only hesitated for an instant before she nodded. Since her new so-called 'Mistress' had put that accursed belt on her and told her about her intentions to train her as a sex pet, she had expected this to happen. It was easier to accept when her Master was a handsome man, and she was really desperate for an orgasm after half a day of relentless stimulation.

Mittelt didn't move as he removed the cuffs locking her ankles together and unlocked the belt which had caused her so much torment. He slowly pulled the two vibrators down, and Mittelt shivered as she felt empty for a moment. Her arms were still restrained in their leather bag.

To her surprise, he unlocked and removed her collar, then the hood covering her head.

He pushed some of her bangs away, and with a tissue, wiped the sweat off her face.

"And what is the name of my cute slave?"

"…Plaything, Master." replied Mittelt, suspecting he was testing her.

"Your real name."

"It's Mittelt, Master. Mittelt Yakima."

"I am Noah Enfield. Although you're still going to have to call me Master. We'll talk more about this, but first, I will reward you for being obedient."

Another leather collar appeared in his hands, one without any name on it, and he fastened it around her neck.

Sitting her in the sofa, her Master removed his clothes. Mittelt's eyes widened as she stared her his upper body. He was simply perfect. And when he removed the rest of his clothes, she gulped. His cock was impressive. She couldn't look away.

Her Master smiled and lifted her bound, latex covered body so that he laid in the sofa, and she was sitting on his thighs, his cock only a few centimeters from her crotch.

"Ready?"

"Please, Master." said Mittelt, unable to keep the anticipation from her voice.

Her Master adjusted her position, aligning his cock with the hole in her bodysuit and the engorged lips of her pussy, and slowly lowered her on him.

Mittelt's mind, already overly stimulated after hours and hours of teasing, melted as the hot rod of flesh entered her, and reached deeper than the vibrator had. It felt so good that she started cumming right away.

And then he started to move.

Mittelt was swallowed by the wave of pleasure. She lost awareness of anything but the cock churning her insides. She came, and came, and came again. She didn't know how many times she had orgasmed when she felt his hot seeds paint her insides.

She was barely conscious when she was laid on the sofa and she felt him clean up the mixed fluids escaping her with a few tissues, before he put the chastity belt back on her body. The belt wasn't vibrating at the moment, and its inserts plugged her holes, stopping more fluids from escaping.

Mittelt wasn't stranger to sex, but it had never felt nearly this intense. He then picked her up and set her on his lap, having her lean on his chest as he kept a hand around her waist.

"It looks like you needed it, slave."

"…Yes, Master."

"And you obviously enjoyed it, a lot. Being my slave comes with a few perks, and you'll experience this kind of pleasure often in the future."

"…Can I ask something, Master?"

"You can."

"Why did it, feel so good? That wasn't normal."

"I have an ability that helps with that. Now, we need to discuss something. What do you think about the training that Suzu and I subjected you to? Speak honestly, I won't punish you as long as you don't outright curse at your Mistress."

"Master… That is… very though. If this keeps up too long, I fear I'll go mad."

"Suzu is following my instructions, as far as I can tell, so any anger you feel at her should be directed at me. But the thing is that this training method you have experienced, is something I created for dealing with murderers and hardened criminals. You and your friends don't seem to be. So, while I am still going to make you girls my slaves, your ordeal will become easier."

"Instead of aiming at breaking your will and making you into absolutely obedient slaves, I'll have Suzu train you so that you learn to enjoy being a slave. No more Plaything name, no more cages, less denial, and more orgasms. We'll still keep you tied up and wearing a variety of latex and leather outfits, though."

Mittelt lowered her head, intensely relieved. Those changes would indeed make their ordeal a lot more tolerable.

"Thank you, Master."

He lifted her off his lap and sat her on the sofa, then cleaned himself with more tissues and some water. He put his clothes back on and recovered the latex hood and the 'Plaything' collar and chain, stuffing them in his inventory, and put the leather cuffs back on Mittelt's ankles.

"Come, slave." he smiled, inserting a finger through the D-ring in front of her collar and making her stand.

Then he teleported with her back to Suzu.

"Welcome back, Master." said Suzu. Noah could hear the grin in her voice. Raynare was on all four again, panting, and Suzu was sitting on her, with one hand holding the chain connected to her collar and the other playing with Raynare's ass and pussy.

"Looks like you're having fun. Both of you." grinned Noah.

"Yes, Master. Slut is a natural masochist. She just loves being tormented and humiliated. She'll make an excellent pet. "

"Mittelt told me what I wanted to know. She lied only once, and I already punished her for that. As it turns out, Suzu, none of them really deserves the Bad Girl treatment. The worst of the three is Raynare. She intended to kill a trio of sacred gear users, but hasn't acted on it. They haven't killed any innocent, even saved one from a pair of devils, so I'll promote them from Livestock to proper Slaves once their training is over. I'll ask you to go easier on them. You know my usual methods, so I'll trust you to improvise according to their reaction to it."

"Understood, Master."

"Raynare."

"…Yes…Master?" panted Raynare, her face blushing as Suzu kept teasing her.

"That exiled researcher from the church, Valper Galilei. Tell me about him."

Suzu, noticing the conversation had become serious, stopped teasing Raynare and using her as a seat.

"I have…met him… a handful of times." panted Raynare "He hired rogue exorcists… or fallen angels like us… to seek relics related to holy swords… or people who would be compatible… I found one relic, but never gave him a human…"

"Do you still have a way to contact him?"

"Yes, Master… An email address…"

"Good. Soon, I'll ask you to send a message to him. I want him to come to Japan."

"Master, who is that person?" asked Suzu curiously.

"He's the one who did some terrible human experiments, and Yuuto's revenge target."

"Ah! it's that guy! Yuuto and Rias mentioned him to me." exclaimed Suzu.

"Yeah. We'll arrange for them to meet. Do not tell Yuuto anything for now, let's not give him false hopes until we're certain Galilei is coming. Anyway, I'll make some food, and we'll feed the slaves. After that, I'll come up with something big enough to keep three horny slaves in training secure in this basement, and we'll go train with Rias."

"Yes, Master."

…

In the end, Noah replaced the cages by three beds that he bolted to the floor, each with a strong steel frame that would provide many anchor points.

After being hand fed delicious food by their Master and Mistress, Raynare, Kalawarna and Mittelt were put into leather sleep sacks, pinned against the mattresses by many wide leather straps. Their arms were forced into internal sleeves, making it impossible for them to do anything more than wriggle a bit, but their heads were free of any restraint, and they could speak to each other for the first time since their capture.

"Mittelt, what happened to you?" asked Kalawarna after a while. She could just barely turn her head toward her friends.

"…Why do you want to know?"

"You weren't gagged when he brought you back, but you didn't peep a word. Even now that they're gone. That's not like you."

"You think I'd want to risk punishment by attracting attention to myself?"

"I guess not… Did you give that guy any sensitive information about the fallen angels?" asked Kalawarna.

"Fuck no. But he didn't even ask. I think he just wanted to know our backstory, to see how he should treat us. My guess is that he assumes we'll tell him anything he wants to know once he's done training us."

"We need to get out of here before they come back." said Kalawarna was determination, renewing her struggles.

"With our powers sealed, and us trussed up like this? Fat chances."

"We need to at least try… Hey, Raynare, why are you not saying anything?"

Raynare didn't answer, as she was struggling against her bonds, but she didn't seem to invest a lot of efforts in it.

"…Earth to Raynare!" yelled Mittelt, causing Raynare to lose her entranced expression and blink.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you trying to escape, or are you trying to cum?"

"I'm trying to escape, or course! I need to return to Azazel-sama's side." protested Raynare, blushing.

"Yeah, sure." sneered Mittelt.

"Anyway, there's no way we can get out of this. We'll need to wait it out, maybe pretend to be obedient slaves, until they show an opening." sighed Kalawarna.

"…Yes. We'll do that." decided Raynare.

Hours later, due to the effect of the special collars they all wore now, all three of them were weakly struggling against their bonds, displaying the same entranced expression Raynare had, and occasionally moaning in repressed lust as they imagined scenes after scenes of themselves being toyed with by their Master and their Mistress.

…

Noah, for the umptieth time today, stuck the inside of Rias's wrist before her first could impact his face, deflecting her strike, seized it, and used a judo technique to turn her over his shoulder and throw her into the ground. Or at least try, as she had learned from previous experience and managed to land on her feet, crouching in front of him. She attempted to land her other first into his chest, and he jumped back, releasing her wrist. They grinned at each other.

"You're becoming stronger, Rias."

"I certainly hope my efforts aren't in vain. We've been at it for hours now."

Noah laughed softly.

"I still remember your face, the first time I used that move on you and you found yourself on the ground, staring at the sky as if you didn't understand what had just happened."

"Mou, don't mention this again!" scolded Rias, blushing slightly.

"How many boosts can you sustain for now?"

Rias glanced at the red gauntlet covering her right hand.

"Three, for nearly three minutes. I can increase to four, but likely for less than half a minute."

"Keep it up, and eventually, you'll be able to manifest the whole armor."

"Yes. I'll keep working hard." Rias smiled warmly at him. "I appreciate you and Suzu's presence in my peerage a lot, you know? Not just for giving me the Boosted Gear, but also for giving me the motivation to really strive to grow stronger. And for being my sparring partner as well."

"We have both decided to be part of each other's life, until death do us part, did we not? It's only natural that I help you." grinned Noah.

"Can you please stop teasing me with this marriage-like talk?"

"Yes, sorry. My King is just so cute when she's embarrassed and I can't help but want to tease you a little. But fine, I'll put a sock on it for a while… Actually, I feel a little bad because I don't have as much time as I'd like to hang around with you, Akeno, Koneko-chan and Yuuto. If I'm being part of your team, I feel like I should be a lot more present, but I'm already spreading myself thin, with my duties in the Anti-demon corps and stuff on the side."

"It's fine, Noah, we understand." said Akeno as she walked to them, Suzu and Koneko following. While he sparred with Rias, Suzu had taken on both Akeno and Koneko at the same time. Koneko was stronger, but slower, while Akeno had supported her from behind with demonic attack magic, mostly using basic Thundara lighting attacks. Suzu had repeatedly used Hole to defend against them while she dealt with Koneko.

"Noah-senpai is very busy." nodded Koneko.

"Yes, but that's not really an excuse. Me being so busy is a consequence of my own choices, after all. In fact, it's also a reason I try to contribute by other methods, like giving you sacred gears. And speaking of contribution, Rias, I have told Alice, Claire, Hisui and Rui that I wouldn't mind it if they were to join your peerage. I highly suggest you invite them, as they are strong. Alice even has the Annihilation Maker Longinus, and she had years to learn how to use it. If you don't, they'll end up in my peerage."

Rias's eyes widened.

"Really? I can try to recruit them? I was tempted to ask them, you see, but it would have been rude for me to do so, since they are your maids."

"Yes, you can."

Rias's smartphone, that she had placed on the side as they trained, made a peculiar notification sound.

"Oh, that's a message from Grayfia." said Rias as she walked to her phone and unlocked it. A few seconds later, she scowled.

"Bad news?" asked Akeno.

"Yes. Noah, Suzu, can you make up some time tomorrow at 16:00? We'll have a visitor, a high-class devil and heir to a major devil House, and Grayfia wrote that my whole peerage must be present, for some reason. I really don't want to see that guy's face, but Grayfia told me the meeting is mandatory."

"Oh? Your whole peerage, including that mysterious Bishop I have yet to meet? Anyway, sure, we'll be there."

"Yes, we'll make sure Gasper is present, too. I'm sending a message to Yuuto to warn him."

"Who is this guy who earned your ire?" asked Noah.

Rias sighed. "Riser Phenex, the most arrogant and clingy among those who want to be engaged to me. He's not the worst devil out there, but he is arrogant as hell. The first time he asked me out, he made it sound like it was obvious that I would accept, and with tears of gratitude in my eyes too! Who does this guy think he is?"

"He really is the worst." nodded Akeno, remembering the scene.

"He can't even take no for an answer. He didn't ask me again, and instead has used his family to try to convince my mother to force me to accept him as my fiancé. Mother rejected them so far, but if I'm being forced to meet with him tomorrow… The Phenex family is the only one able to produce Phoenix Tears, a miracle medicine that is invaluable in devil society, and that gives them a lot of power and influence." said Rias.

"I see. I guess we'll learn about your mother's opinion tomorrow."

"Yes. Please be there early to help up prepare for it. It seems he going to bring his whole peerage with him too, so it might turn into a tea party."

"We'll come an hour or two before. Now, if you do not mind, Suzu and I will take our leave for today."

"Yes. Thank you for today, Noah. I look forward to our next spar."

"See you tomorrow, Noah, Suzu-chan." nodded Akeno.

"Goodbye, Noah-senpai, Suzu." added Koneko with a small smile.

Noah and Suzu said their goodbyes and he teleported her to his home, in the living room.

"Welcome back, Master, Suzu." said Rui, quickly echoed by Hisui. Both girls were eating ice cream in front of the television, watching a very popular series Noah had learned was called 'the adventures of Magical Girl Sera-chan'. The whole thing had over twelve seasons, and Serafall Leviathan had a very prolific career.

"Thanks, Rui, Hisui. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Master. Can't say the same for Alice and Claire, though. They're having a hard time."

"They both chose the active belts. I had warned them." shrugged Suzu.

"Oh… I understand."

"I'm still not very happy with this, Master. You were aiming at us from the start, were you not?" frowned Hisui.

"I was. Changing the world isn't something I can do alone, and I knew even before Lilith sent me to this world that I should gather many subordinates. And as far as qualities goes, you girls are the cream of the crop, being kind, competent, strong, and beautiful. Can you really blame me for wanting you?"

"I guess not." sighed Hisui. "But the process is all wrong. When I think back about everything you did and told us, I do not remember you outright lying to us, but you certainly omitted to tell us a few inconvenient truths."

"Yes, I did that… And still do, really. I just do not have time to get to know and seduce girls one by one the normal way, and overcome their natural resistance to having to share their man. I may use questionable methods, but keep in mind that the faster I do things, the faster we'll start saving people. Just because Lilith didn't give me a hard time limit, doesn't mean I should not prioritize methods giving fast results."

"…I very much want to retort, but I can't find an argument right now." sighed Hisui.

"We can always resume this conversation later, if you wish. This aside, how do you feel? You chose the first option, right?" asked Noah gently.

"Yes. I'm fine enough to be able to function, and I can forget about it for a while, but this is still more difficult than I thought."

"Remember that you can ask me for relief at any time, although whether you obtain that relief or not will depend on my mood." smiled Noah.

"I'll keep it in mind. But can you do something about Alice and Claire, please? They're not coping well."

"I'll go check on them." nodded Noah.

"Master, I'll return home for now. Can I visit you tonight?" asked Suzu.

"I'd love to. Just teleport to me when you want, but keep in mind I might be still training in Hueco Mondo when you do, so come prepared for a fight."

"Thank you, Master. See you later, Hisui, Rui."

"Yes, bye, Suzu." Hisui and Rui waved at her, and Suzu teleported to her home.

Noah climbed the stairs to the first of the rooms used by the maids. He knocked at the door.

There was no response. After a few seconds, he opened the door. And a pillow was yeeted at his face. Noah chose to take the hit and simply smiled.

Alice was looking at him furiously from the bed, her face red and full of sweat. Her maid uniform was quite crumpled.

"I guess I deserved that. How are you doing, Alice?"

"Va a ciapa I ratt, cretino!" she spat.

Noah chuckled as he closed the door to her room and moved the chair of the room closer to the bed. Alice had essentially just told him to 'go pound sand, idiot'. A less polite version of it, involving rats and bestiality.

"Suzu told me you chose that belt out of pride. Have you learned your lesson yet?"

"I'm not going to beg you! I can endure!" gasped Alice.

"If you say so. How long is your sentence right now?"

"Hugh… A little less than twenty." Admitted Alice, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Twenty? Did the punishment you got from the first cheating attempt not dissuade you from being naughty again?"

"…I had hoped I could pick the keyhole, but I received another shock the instant I tried."

"Of course." snorted Noah. "The keyhole is just a trap anyway, to make you earn five more days. The belt can only open with my energy signature and mental command."

"You! You stronzo!" snarled Alice.

"Hey, calling your Master a big piece of shit is excessive, no matter how angry you are. So I'll modify a bit the belt's behavior. Lift your skirt, Alice."

"Ugh." complained Alice. Under the effect of the soul contract she had signed, she couldn't disobey a direct order. Directing swear words at her Master or throwing an object at him without intention of harming him were already the limit, and she could only do it because the contract was influenced by Noah's soul, and he wanted them to be able to express their opinion this way. Alice exposed the belt which had tormented her so much.

"I'll be lenient, since this is your first day wearing it." said Noah as he placed a hand against the belt's front plate. The vibrations stopped, and Alice felt both disappointment and relief.

"The belt will be dormant until tomorrow morning. However, it will now react to insults directed my way, and you will earn three days each time it happens." smiled Noah.

"You…"

"Careful, my naughty maid… We're eating dinner in two hours."

Noah headed for the door, but paused and turned to face her.

"Alice, if it becomes too hard for you, I'll give you the possibility of switching to a passive belt. If you do, however, there will be a penalty."

"I have my pride! I'm not going to change! And I'm not going to beg you!"

"As you wish. I'll go check on Claire. I guess she could use a break, too."

Noah left the room, leaving Alice alone.

She sighed in relief and, with unsteady steps, went to the attached bathroom. Alice wanted to take a shower, both to clear her head and her body.

For most of the day, it had been almost impossible for her to focus on anything. She had barely eaten at lunch, and often had to grip her hands together to stop herself from trying to insert her fingers inside and accrue more days of torment.

The shower helped, and she decided to take a nap while she still could. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep and forget for a while. But even as she started to drift to sleep, a thought worried her. It was as Suzu had said. The thought of being under Noah's control, of only being allowed pleasure when he decided to grant it to her… that idea was starting to feel thrilling.