"Hmm...."
Finn stared at the strict young woman for a long moment. He didn't yell. He didn't even frown. He was simply mildly surprised she had the audacity to make such a blatant, foolish move, especially given her famously analytical personality.
"Sona Sitri-sama," Ravel stepped forward instantly, her polite smile vanishing into a sharp aristocratic scowl. "Even if you are an honored guest here, I highly suggest you watch your tongue. Every word that slips past those lips represents the entire Sitri House. It would be a shame to embarrass them."
"I am merely stating the truth," Sona replied coldly, entirely unfazed by Ravel's hostility. "His act of placing an open bounty on the Himejima Clan is nothing but a waste of his wealth."
Even faced with Ravel's anger, Sona genuinely believed she was right. To her highly logical mind, Finn's emotional, financially destructive revenge felt profoundly stupid.
"You think you can say whatever you want just because you are—"
"Calm down, Ravel," Finn interrupted smoothly. He reached out, his large hand resting gently on Ravel's bare shoulder. The sudden, scorching warmth of his touch against her sensitive skin made Ravel shiver, and she instantly fell silent, stepping back with a breathless, "Yes, Finn-sama."
Finn turned his full attention to Sona. "So, you believe my act of placing a global bounty on the Himejima Clan is nothing but stupid and wasteful."
"Yes," Sona nodded, completely ignoring Ravel to focus entirely on the massive Devil before her.
"Why exactly do you think so?"
"Because there is zero long-term benefit to what you are doing," Sona stated, pushing her glasses up her nose. "You are merely burning through your money. Instead of actively causing chaos for all the Devils residing in Japan and purposefully making us targets for the Shinto factions, you should have put your wealth to better use. You could have invested it to secure actual power there."
"I see," Finn nodded slowly, his expression utterly unreadable. "So, let me clarify. If you, or your beautiful family, were directly assaulted by a group of militant human lunatics in Japan... you would simply do nothing? You would just roll over, forgive them, and offer them your coin purse as an 'investment'?"
"..." Sona froze.
"I-I never said that!"
"But logically, that is the only rational interpretation of your words," Finn tilted his head, his golden eyes dark and mocking.
"...." Sona gritted her teeth, her sharp mind scrambling for a counter.
"More importantly," Finn continued smoothly, completely dominating the verbal spar, "there are massive, highly satisfying benefits to spending my money on the Himejima bounty."
"And what exactly are those?" Sona demanded. Despite knowing she was rapidly losing the upper hand, her stubborn pride refused to back down.
"When I placed that bounty on those humans, I turned them into walking bags of gold. By making them the absolute target of every greedy mercenary on the planet, I established a very simple, very bloody precedent: I am not a pushover," Finn explained, his voice dropping to a freezing, predatory octave.
He leaned in slightly, his imposing frame casting a heavy shadow over her. "Instead of using my own fists—instead of dirtying my own hands to handle them—isn't it vastly more elegant to force others to do the ugly work for me? Because I did this, every single human and supernatural faction on the planet is currently realizing that the consequences of attacking me are absolute ruin."
He looked deeply into Sona's wavering eyes, his gaze heavy with dominance. "So tell me, Sitri-san. If you are forced into a messy conflict against a group of lunatics who literally attempted to assassinate the heir of a Pillar... is it better to drag yourself into the mud and bleed with them? Or is it vastly more elegant to simply sit back, sip wine, and watch them tear each other apart for your money?"
"...."
Sona was completely speechless. Her logic had been utterly dismantled by sheer, unapologetic ruthlessness.
Beside him, Ravel felt a deeply satisfying, heated thrill. Watching Finn effortlessly dominate one of the most infamously strict, arrogant heiresses in the Underworld made Ravel's heart pound wildly against her corset.
"Lastly..." Finn added, twisting the knife.
"Lastly?" Sona whispered, dreading what was coming.
"I am not the pampered little sister of Serafall Leviathan," Finn stated bluntly. He knew it was a cruel blow, but it was the absolute truth. "If I try to play the gentle, forgiving noble after someone attempts to murder me, the other factions won't respect my mercy. They will simply assume I am weak, and they will try to bully me again, right?"
"...."
Sona's face burned a deep, humiliated crimson. She hated being compared to her older sister. She hated relying on her sister's shadow. Yet, Finn had just brutally exposed the absolute hypocrisy of her argument.
"You... you... you..." Sona stammered, her lips trembling in frustration.
Could she even deny it?! The undeniable fact was that despite the massive chaos currently engulfing Japan, the lives of Sona and Rias were perfectly, utterly peaceful. Technically, their aristocratic status was identical to Finn's.
Yet, Sona and Rias were untouchable because their older siblings were Serafall Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer! They were the little sisters of the two strongest Devils in existence! Who on earth would dare mess with them?!
"So, do you still believe my actions are useless?" Finn smiled pleasantly, looking down at Sona with the indulgent, slightly condescending gaze one might use on a naive child. "Or should I explain the rest of my methods to you, Sitri-san?"
"No need! I am not an idiot!" Sona huffed angrily.
She knew exactly what Finn was implying. She was already keenly aware that Finn was actively acquiring the foreclosed lands and assets of the collapsing Japanese factions for pennies. His 'reckless revenge' was actually a highly calculated takeover.
Did he care about the collateral damage? Clearly not. Sona desperately wanted to scold him, but she couldn't. It wasn't politically correct to question his methods, especially when his revenge was infinitely smarter and vastly more delicious than standard Devil brawling.
"I am very glad we've cleared up this little misunderstanding, then," Finn smiled.
This man is entirely different from anyone else, Sona realized bitterly.
"But even so... I still believe your methods are fundamentally wrong," Sona muttered stubbornly.
"That's perfectly fine," Finn didn't lose his temper. "As Nietzsche said: 'You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.' But once again, unlike you, I don't have the luxury of Leviathan-sama's absolute protection."
"....."
Sona glared daggers at him, her pride absolutely bruised. "You are logically correct, but I still hate you!" She huffed sharply, turning on her heel and marching away in severe annoyance.
"Sona-sama!"
Tsubaki Shinra was completely startled when Sona abruptly abandoned her. Left alone in front of Finn and Ravel—who were both staring at her—Tsubaki panicked. Given the strict hierarchy of Devils, she wasn't entirely sure how to excuse herself.
"You should go back to your mistress," Finn said gently, breaking her paralysis. "Calm her down. She is far too emotional right now."
Tsubaki was stunned by the casual dismissal. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Balam-sama."
"No problem."
"And..." Tsubaki hesitated, biting her plush lower lip.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you... for doing what you did," Tsubaki whispered, her cheeks dusting with pink. She knew it was inappropriate for her to say this, but the gratitude spilled out. "I know it might sound strange, but I am from the Shinra Clan. I know exactly how incredibly toxic and ugly the Five Principal Clans truly are. I am very glad you tore them down."
She bowed her head one final time, her curves shifting beautifully under her uniform, before she turned to chase after Sona.
"You are such an elegant bully, Finn-sama," Ravel giggled, covering her alluring smile behind her fan.
"I might be, but you should be a bit more careful next time," Finn warned, looking at Ravel with a deadpan expression. "Your family's backing is absolute, but her older sister is Serafall Leviathan, after all."
Even if Sona was childish, Serafall was infinitely more childish and terrifyingly overprotective. If Ravel genuinely angered Sona, what would happen to her?
"But... if something like that did happen..." Ravel lowered her fan, her face flushing a deep, inviting crimson as she looked up at him through her lashes. She leaned in slightly, allowing the breathtaking, heavy swell of her cleavage to press subtly against the fabric of her dress. "W-Will you help me, Finn-sama?"
"..."
Finn blinked. The words Zekram had spoken earlier—Find yourself a wife—suddenly echoed violently in his mind.
He hadn't taken the Great King's demand seriously before. But as he looked down at Ravel's beautifully flushed face, her massive breasts straining against her bodice, and her ridiculously elaborate twin-drill hair... his mind involuntarily drifted toward the highly degenerate things he could do by gripping those twin-tails from behind.
He felt like absolute scum for the lewd thought, but he took a slow, steadying breath and smiled warmly. "If it ever comes to that... then yes. I will help you."
Ravel's face bloomed into a radiantly happy, breathtaking smile. "Then I have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"No, you don't."
The atmosphere between them grew incredibly sweet and highly charged. Across the room, Lord Phenex laughed uproariously, looking immensely satisfied. Riser looked deeply conflicted. Sirzechs and Lord Gremory remained steeped in awkward anxiety, and Sairaorg continued to sigh heavily. Sona merely grumbled into her drink from the corner.
Eventually, as the main event drew closer, Ravel reluctantly had to step away.
"Please wait for just a moment, Finn-sama. I need to take care of the event preparations for a bit, but please wait, I will return to you," Ravel promised softly.
"Don't worry. Take your time. I'll be waiting right here," Finn assured her.
"Um~!" Ravel nodded happily, practically skipping back to her family, her lush curves bouncing with every step.
Left alone, Finn took a deep breath, trying to calm the sudden, heavy heat pooling in his stomach. Ravel's lingering, sweet floral perfume still hung in the air. He struggled with the potent temptation for a moment, but he quickly forced himself to shift gears.
The grand doors at the top of the stairs opened. Rias Gremory, draped in an obscenely lavish, form-fitting wedding dress that hugged every single one of her spectacular curves, emerged. The true climax of the evening was about to begin.
"Now, everyone! Thank you all for coming here tonight to welcome the glorious union between myself and my beautiful wife, Rias Gremory!"
Riser had completely forgotten his anxiety over Finn and Ravel. He was vibrating with lustful excitement, his eyes locked greedily onto Rias. He was already vividly imagining exactly how he was going to strip off that pristine white dress and forcefully plant his heir deep inside her!
Sitting quietly in the corner, Finn observed Rias. She was undeniably stunning. Her flowing crimson hair contrasted gorgeously against her pale, exposed shoulders, making her impossible to ignore. Yet, looking at the impending disaster, Finn felt a sudden, exasperated shudder.
"Isn't she beautiful?" a cold voice asked.
"....."
Finn turned his head. Sona Sitri had quietly slipped into the empty seat beside him, her legs crossed elegantly.
"You are also quite beautiful, Sitri-san," Finn replied smoothly.
"Is that exactly how you seduce the daughter of the Phenex Clan?" Sona rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defensively.
The motion did absolutely nothing to enhance her chest; it remained resolutely flat. Yet, even without Ravel's overwhelming curves, Sona possessed a distinctly sharp, intellectual allure. Her strict eyes, her flawless posture, and the sheer, tantalizing length of her legs beneath the slit of her dress... If a man harbored a specific fetish for being coldly looked down upon by a severe mistress, she was the absolute pinnacle.
"Did the line work on you?" Finn asked, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
"No."
"That's a relief," Finn sighed lazily. "Being actively pursued by Serafall's little sister sounds like an absolute nightmare."
"..." Sona glared at him.
"So, why did you choose to sit here instead of with your best friend?" Finn asked.
"My best friend is currently standing over there," Sona gestured toward Rias, her voice dripping with venom. "About to marry a complete scumbag."
Finn didn't care about Sona's moral evaluation of Riser. Instead, he leaned back and asked, "What about you? Don't you have some highly-strung gentleman who might be panicking that his beautiful fiancé is sitting next to another man?"
"Don't worry about me. I don't have anything like that. I am entirely free to sit down wherever I like," Sona looked directly at Finn, her eyes narrowing sharply. "Including right next to a scumbag who just seduced the daughter of the Phenex House."
"....." Finn merely chuckled.
He didn't have time to formulate a witty counter. Because just as Riser loudly declared his intentions to make Rias his wife, the massive, reinforced double doors of the venue violently exploded inward with a deafening BANG!
"BUCHOOOOOOOOO'S VIRGINITY IS MINE!!!"
"....."
Every single noble in the room froze in absolute, unadulterated shock.