Honestly?
Mai took it a LOT better than you'd ever expected. Her main concern was whether you were actually safe, and once you assured her you were? She simply shrugged and told you to call her if you ever did need help.
…Though she made absolutely sure to stress that she was in no way, shape, or form going to be looking after the kid.
After that, things de-escalated surprisingly quickly. Whatever jealousy Persephone had initially felt toward Ruby seemed to either melt away or transform into endlessly teasing her over her painfully obvious envy of Demeter's chest, while Ruby did little more than whine about how unfair it all was and complain that she couldn't modify her body anymore after inserting the Eye and becoming physical. Throughout it all, Demeter simply sat there quietly, observing the chaos with an air of dignified patience, only occasionally shooting you a judgmental look whenever Ruby's antics became particularly ridiculous.
Eventually, though, everyone turned in for the night. Tomorrow was the second day of the tournament, and you'd all need your energy. Demeter and Persephone returned to Lily's room—even as Persephone narrowed her eyes at you before disappearing inside—while you headed to your own bedroom with Mai and Ruby.
As soon as you climbed into bed, Ruby immediately curled against your side while Mai settled across your chest.
"So, with all the chaos today I almost forgot to ask," Mai said after a moment. "How many Locator Cards did you end up getting?"
You froze.
…There was the one you'd won from Vicky, and apparently Lily had also had one—Lucian had handed Locator Cards out to all of his followers—but that still only left you with...
"...Two."
Mai pushed herself upright, staring down at you as one eyebrow slowly rose before the corner of her mouth curled into a smug grin.
"...Really now? Very impressive. Want to know how many I managed to get today~?"
You let out a long sigh, giving her a flat look while Ruby watched the exchange with an amused grin, idly kicking her feet.
"...Something tells me you'll tell me no matter what I say."
"Three! And counting the one I started with, that puts me at four Locator Cards total." Mai's grin widened. "And you know what that means~"
You grimaced.
"Well... a deal's a deal. Guess I'll go get the stuff—"
Mai immediately stopped you, reaching up to press a finger against your nose.
"Oh no~ I'm going to enjoy this properly, and that means some extensive prep work. So until I'm finished..." She leaned in close, her grin turning positively wicked. "...I guess you'll just have to sit there and simmer in anticipation~"
She gently blew into your ear, sending a shiver down your spine that was, naturally, one hundred percent the result of simple physical stimulation and absolutely nothing else.
...And with that, the three of you closed your eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, bringing what had felt like an exceptionally long day to an end.
Though as you next opened your eyes, rather than finding yourself in bed beneath the rising morning sun, you instead awoke somewhere you instinctively recognized as your Soul Palace.
Though somehow... it was a part of it you'd never seen before.
.
------------->
.
That... shouldn't have been possible.
You'd explored this place from top to bottom, and you knew without a shadow of a doubt there had never been a garden like this.
Before you could dwell on that any further, your attention snapped behind you at the sound of approaching footsteps. You turned, an eyebrow raising as you spotted Demeter strolling through the garden, calmly observing her surroundings.
"...This is..." She grimaced as she looked around. "Acceptable… I suppose." The words sounded as though they physically pained her to admit.
You narrowed your eyes.
"And this is...?"
Demeter merely rolled her eyes before letting out a haughty sniff.
"My new home away from home, I suppose. As I told you before, do not mistake the XIII for mere spirits. With our new... partnership, it seems I have been granted a place within your Soul Room, just as the thief was before me. And much like with him, your very soul has reshaped itself to contain my power, creating the place we now stand within."
As she finished speaking, you slowly looked around, taking in the sprawling gardens stretching out in every direction.
...You supposed that made sense.
You highly doubted your Soul Palace had contained an entire Underworld before you'd acquired Hades, so it only followed that Demeter would receive a domain of her own as well.
"So..." You wandered over and took a seat beneath one of the many gazebos, breathing in the pleasant floral scent drifting through the air. "...Is there a reason you called me here? Or did you just want to explain all this?"
Demeter let out a quiet sigh before walking over and taking the seat beside you.
"...Do you remember the question you tried to ask Lily earlier? About her true parents? Are you still curious?"
You glanced at her, noticing the sorrow creeping into her normally proud voice.
"...And if I am?"
She closed her eyes for a long moment.
"Then I shall tell you."
When she opened them again, there was only regret.
"...The story of how I killed them."