Chapter 4: ...A Thousand Lies and a Good Disguise, hit them right between the Eyes...
I didn't want to talk about it.
That fight with Mihae, yeah that never happened as far as I'm concerned. The aftermath was just too humiliating to deal with.
So yeah, I was just going to ignore it like it didn't happen, unless some event would force me to recall it. Going by my luck, that should be happening sooner or later, but for now, it never occurred.
It was a stupid mistake, and I was paying for it in dividends, and it was all my fault. Well, maybe not all my fault, I think some of Raiser's 'Idiot' was rubbing off on me as time passed and I had absolutely no idea how long this was going to last or how bad it might end up getting.
That was just a spar after all, if I decided to do something equally crazy in a real fight, like needlessly giving a person a fighting chance when said person was really trying to kill me and I could easily take them down in one blow, then I deserved to lose. I would have to either get rid of it entirely -fat chance since humans always tended to make mistakes and for all intents and purposes I was born human- or be powerful enough that I never had to deal with the consequences.
The second choice was always more attractive, as well as more attainable with how everything was going.
It was no joke that the Phenex family was powerful, fire and wind magic as well as hyper regeneration was a very attractive combo, but I suspected that I could push those limits a bit more.
What my father said really bugged me for a bit, something to look up later...
What did he mean by Complete?
"WHAT THE HELL?" familiar voice beat at my ears, and I had to keep from flinching with how deafening the sound rang.
Ah, just what I was trying to avoid so early in the morning.
Almost lazily, I adjusted the position of the bishop slumbering on my back extra careful that I didn't wake her, before turning to the mask of anger my sister wore. Fiery blue eyes glared daggers from across the hall as she beheld my form, her arms hurriedly crossed over her chest as a foot silently began to tap with expectation. She was trembling now, her face contorted in anger born of worry as a shaky arm rose and pointed an accusing finger at me, or rather us.
Normally, my well-mannered sister wouldn't be so loud as to wake up someone slumbering, but she was in a state of such shock that I don't think it occurred to her.
I guess I should explain what she's seeing.
Currently I was carrying Mihae, now dressed in a skintight suit and an outer robe both the darkest black in color, on my back as she slept with her chin nestled on my shoulder as quiet breaths escaped her. My bishop was more cute than elegant when she slept, and without the formal robes guarding her form, she looked more like an innocent child on my back, one tuckered out by whatever activity we occupied ourselves with. She was asleep and in the end, immaculate after our little training session with not even a single tear adorning her black silken robes.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" The voice, if ever it was possible, grew even louder.
I was an entirely different story.
My clothing was torn all over, totally ruined that barely anything covered my upper body as I stalked my castle halls. What wasn't burned was most definitely charred and cracking. A thin layer of ash covered the cloth that wasn't totally burned away and the smell of smoke permeated the air I had passed though. My hair was a bit singed and I think I looked a bit like a reverse Azazel -that was black on blond instead of the other way around. All things considered, that was the only obvious indicator in the picture that something was wrong, and I wouldn't be surprised if anyone else was calling me out on it.
A half naked guy that seemed to have just escaped a burning building carrying and uninjured girl was a strange sight to see, especially with those from the Phenex family. Why, you may ask? Well, lets start by saying that our regeneration was special in that it was like how invisibility was supposed to work; it was supposed to cover our clothes too. So seeing me half naked in the middle of the night may have ticked her off to the fact that, yeah, I had momentarily lost my ability to regenerate.
After all, one of the ways to kill one of the Phenex was to tire them out to a certain extent.
"It's not as bad as you think." I couldn't exactly gesture reassuringly since both my hands were supporting a particularly nice ass, but it wasn't the time to enjoy that. "And keep it down, would you? You'll wake her."
"Her? What about you?" She hissed, her voice dropping so that only I could hear her now that she had closed the distance between us. She jerked her hands forward, only to clench them into fists as she remembered that I had no more collar for her to grab threateningly. Seeing as she wasn't about to grab what was left of my pants, she settled for jabbing an accusing finger into my chest. "How in the nine Hells did this happen?"
"I promise that it's not as bad as you think." I tried again, really just saying the first things that come to my mind and trying my best not to give ground. The ladies in the family seemed to smell fear after all, so I thought that I stand my ground and everything will be fine. As long as I don't give her any reason to worry, she shouldn't worry. Right?
She raised an elegant eyebrow, her voice growing colder and colder as she spoke each word. "So you didn't lose your ability to regenerate after training your other bishop?"
Well, this was going down hill fast. "...Okay so it is as bad as you think, but it's all part of training. What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger and we're immortal, so stop worrying too much."
"Unbelievable. You promised me that you would do no more crazy experiments and then you do something like this." There was genuine frustration in her eyes, worry and anger as well as dwindling patience. That last bit may be because it's already past her bed time, but the first few was undoubtedly my fault. Stupid little sister worrying too much, now I feel like I just kicked the equivalent of a puppy here.
"I promised no more secrets, and I did say I would be training everyone. This is how I train them, and how I train myself." She had benefited as well, though not as much since I would never really lay a hand on the princess of Phenex. I guess the disconnect came from the fact that I just improved her imagery rather than any true physical attribute. We did things like painting and poetry while others worked on speed and strength, so she was somewhat spared from most of the hardship. The drain circles was as far as I went with my little sister's training. "I'll be fine, Rae, just let me put Mihae to bed."
Her eyes softened at the nickname, one rarely heard now that we were all supposedly living separately, and she finally relented. "Don't get too carried away, okay? You don't have to be like Ruval-oniisama."
"Oh, my little girl is worried about me." I gushed with the goofiest smile I could muster. "If I wasn't giving Mihae a piggyback I would so be cuddling with you."
I took the roll of her eyes to be that everything was alright and watched her go the other way as I continued on to my room. At this point, it was more everyone and anyone else's room since I didn't exactly sleep anymore, but that was moot point since it gave me a good place to drop anyone who did faint after training.
It happened more often than not, especially since I up the ante every time we do train. The only way they wouldn't fall unconscious is if they improved faster than I projected them improving; which was happening... every other day. They were improving very quickly all things considered, but that went without saying that not even they could compare to my own growth.
If I didn't already say so, the System of this universe allows other systems to work within it as long as it was sensible.
Sorry, I meant convenient.
That's how magicians exist after all, they made their own systems after examining the magic of devils, angels, and the gods of different pantheons. I saw no reason it wasn't possible to make it that other systems would work, and quite frankly the results have been much more than I expected.
You know the time slowing down perspective? That move was courtesy of the Atlas Alchemists: Thought Acceleration allowing thought to be, duh, accelerated to any degree depending on the amount of energy given. If I was human, there would be a limit to how 'fast' I would be able to think, but now that I'm a devil I could basically 'stop time' with how quickly I process things. It would be no exaggeration to say that I am in fact thinking at the speed of light, and I haven't even started learning Memory Partition properly, which would allow me even better calculation power.
Hey! Looking at things this 'fast' wasn't nearly the most unfair thing in the world. Supposedly the Divine Dividing wings could propel its user even faster than light...
And Issei somehow caught up to that in the same battle...
Because of tits...
And if that didn't call for a facepalm.
Thinking isn't as good as moving though, like the classic 'seeing the bullet but being unable to avoid it' and that really was crippling sometimes. It's exactly the phenomenon that occurred when I forced myself to observe Mihae's version of the Waves of the Peacock's Wings, where I couldn't dodge or block until...
Nope, I didn't even want to think about it.
I cursed my munchkin tendencies for what transpired during that event, especially when I was so fixated on overwhelming power rather than practicality. Archer and his past self did it best when they showed that even fakes could destroy a king if the latter was not careful, and I promised not to make that same mistake. That in mind, the inspiration and the warning given by the son caused me to turn my eyes towards the father who was the source of the lethally pragmatic mindset.
I saw no reason for me not to pursue Innate Time Control, the deterioration it would cause next to nothing when faced with regeneration faster than Avalon and a body that was not human. I would probably learn that next, maybe use it when playing with my knights if I manage to get it down fast enough. It would be nice to actually be able to move at a much faster speed, especially when I intended to go against a boy who would soon be able to beat me almost instantly as soon as he gets his arm working.
Hell with how mana worked, I could learn Senjutsu, or at least a variant, and that would propel me well into Bael-class or something.
Nasuverse mechanics were just so easy to deal with since it's a lot like Minovsky Physics in terms of structure; it has a structure so grounded in itself that to 'imagine' it at work would simply mean applying the system itself.
Okay, that was confusing so let me put it like this: creating, and subsequently casting, spells was like making a tool. You had a goal in mind, in this case making a wooden spoon, so now we had to deal things like materials, method of creation, the actual structure of the object, the skill required in making the object and other stuff. You had a goal, but you had to deal with all those other problems that would have an effect on the end product in some manner, and this was the 'imagining' of the spell as well as its effects. Not to mention that the method of actualization itself would affect it's effectiveness as as spell.
Issei struggled with this when he crafted his two spells, Dress Break and Bilingual. He knew what he wanted to do, but how to actually do it was a bit of a problem for him.
Let us study the former; he was limited to touch range, instead of say sight and he had to apply a circle which needed a few boosts instead of just instant spell-casting. The up-sides though included the no-limit fallacy inherent in the spell, that it absolutely worked no matter what the 'dress' might have been. The conditions that needed to be met were extremely specialized, but it never failed no matter what the opponent was, bypassing magic defense and tearing whatever physical defense apart, as long as a woman donned what was to be the dress.
In the most astonishing instance, he stripped Asia of the construct that would have killed her when she was captured by Astaroth, even when said construct should have been guarded by magic surpassing even Rias' power of destruction.
Having a structure to actually work with made things much easier by giving you a manual. Now that you knew exactly what wood to use, how to carve it into a shape, which is also given, as well as what steps you need to take, you almost always end up with that wooden spoon. With this manual, all you needed to actually do is put in the effort, or energy, into making the spoon. That's precisely how I managed to make a wooden spoon capable of allowing my brain to process at a speed close to transcending time itself.
Simply 'Imagining' it working according to the instructions should have been enough, though further testing was required to determine the limit of such actions. I would have to test it if its more viable than normal Reinforcement, because definitely Alteration was a no go now that this body was just so tied to the five elements. I maybe test it now but my bishops would be bothered, and I'm pretty sure that she doesn't deserve that after what I put her though. I also didn't want my sister even angrier than she already was.
With Mihae at my back, I realized things. I scanned second-hand memories, looked through every scene, listened to every word and I found nothing. I pondered long and even harder, at memories not even ours to begin with, recordings of battles and I see nothing. I watched him as he seduced them, as he whispered sweet nothings, as he kissed them like they were his and in each shadowed scene, in each hideaway, I found nothing.
Funny, this asshole, this idiot, never did anything to hurt his girls.
Not.
Even.
Once.
And now, after maybe breaking their hearts, I put them through hell.
Now I've personally raised my hand and struck one of them down with an attack I had no intention of using on anyone less than an enemy.
I never thought I would ever be in a position where I was worse than this fried chicken.
Sure they never trained, but he always made sure that they went down under decisive blows, to minimize the pain as much as possible. They would love him more ever after since most if not all of his wins had his hand directing the battle, where he would enter the fray and drown the enemy in a sea of hellfire. When he did lose, it was to people they respected, people of higher station, and he always took the lead. He would fight alone, and he would fall alone while his pieces stood back and watched him throw the fight. As twisted as it was, they may have actually loved him and I took even that away from them.
I'll give in and say that I'm evil, but I'm not heartless. They may be pieces on the board but Goddammit -Hell the hurts- they were mine.
MINE
I gave them strength, as much as they could carry so that they would serve me well but also so that they too could rise up in this society that favors not but true power. If the Phenex gave their powers to those they cared for by giving away part of their very souls, each of them held a part of mine. I wanted them to stand strong, to tower above opposition because they were mine; not as my women, not as my consorts, not as my lovers, not as my servants but they were mine. I would say that I had no idea what they were to me but they were mine.
They were mine.
And if this trend continued, then I would be hurting them.
I couldn't exactly just horde power to myself and trust that I would be enough all the time. No that was the easiest way to get them killed, leaving them all weak and centralizing power to myself. But if I kept training them in such a manner, if I don't take precautions like the way I simply underestimated the situation, they would get hurt.
And I would be the one hurting them.
And I just couldn't take that.
Maybe its a devil thing, but I cared for them more than I thought I would.
The Gremory guard their servants like they would family.
The Bael watch over their peerage like a commander over their soldiers.
The Astaroth view their pieces as prized treasures in their collections.
Haa...
Maybe I should have considered taking a break for a while.
Weeks of pouring over notes and tomes, in keeping up with this worlds magic system as well as any other system I could remember or imagine did wonders to my options, to increase the variety I had in battle, but that was all that occupied my head since the beginning. I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm pretty sure that I'm set until volume five assuming everything goes according to plan and several contingencies, but that road of confidence is ruinous for pride always cometh before the fall.
The path of paranoia is just as destructive for with power comes pain and with pain comes madness. The strength I wield is power gained after a few weeks, power enough to best a 'mature' White Dragon Emperor if all goes well, but the price I have paid was equally steep. Power comes at a price, and that price is one Fate could collect at any moment. My machinations do not go ignored in this world, and the more I change, even if only myself, will change much. Exactly how much of a change, I do not know and therefore I am prompted to claim more power for myself: forbidden strength from the abyss of madness.
This may be the Alien Commonsense of Demons, a significant source of power to be sure, but not the only one in my arsenal. Prana Burst works, both of the Holy Sword and the God Killing Lance, while Reinforcement, Thought Acceleration, Transmutation and Elemental Magecraft are others. Hopefully Memory Partition, Innate Time Control, will soon be included. I do not think that I would be able to imitate feats such as the Reality Marbles, or some of the more powerful Noble Phantasms like the Blades of Rupture, Ea and Slash Emperor, but the Marble Phantasm may be within my reach if I put enough effort into using my power of Imagination to control the World around me.
As long as I believed the world could work in this manner, it should work after all.
Oh, and this was just some of the Nasuverse spells, there were so many more, less detailed systems, waiting to be tested.
But it was a vicious cycle I had found myself in, the classic terror of power and how as one gains, one only begins wanting more. I definitely needed a break before all this power, this hunger that seemed to be tearing me apart, consumed me.
As soon as put my little bishop to bed then.
After that, I would relax, even if it killed me.
Wait... something was wrong with that thought.
Walking through the bustling streets of a sunlit city, I couldn't help but think I was tempting fate a bit here.
It was nice, taking a break, even if something in the back of my mind said it just couldn't last.
I tried to ignore that part as much as possible as I stalked the town, admiring the sights I never once took for granted. Being stuck in a hospital did that to you, and when white was all I could see, even a splash of color was luxury.
I mean, don't get me wrong the scenery was beautiful. The oranges and purples that tinted the sky, the way the setting sun shone through trees, the sound of cars passing by with slow quieting hums, the feel of the air as it swept past warm and cold and all too imperfect; all those gave me a sense of flawed normalcy, an anchor to what most people believed was the 'real world'. I wasn't a devil rising to power, or a king over his subject, not even a madman in a world he already knows, but just a guy in a simple jacket strolling across town with nothing on his mind.
Sorry for speaking in third person, but everything was just peaceful.
I just walked aimlessly, really, popping into shops to check out wares, maybe picking up a book or two when I passed a store with no real goal in mind. I tried to leave it all behind for awhile, all the thoughts of powers and strengths, of deaths inevitable and battles not yet fought as I walked the length of the beautiful city.
I was almost jealous of the people here; humans with no care in the world. Oh no, they were in no less danger, maybe even in more if you consider their actual combat potential, but the saying held true when they said ignorance was bliss. They had no idea what occurred, the battles and the bloodshed, and they could live relatively quiet lives that way, not plagued by the coming end.
I guess if and when it does come, they would simply be surprised when they fall, unlike we who have prepared for it, and yet would fall all the same.
Speaking of falling...
"Hyaa!"
The world slowed down as I sighed, this actually happened more often than you think.
I was simply walking, this place looks to be the park instead of the main street, and every so often a girl would scream out for some reason. Mostly its because they tripped, and really that happened way to many times, or some breeze went by to blow up skirts definitely too short to be considered decent. It really begged the question as to why they wore them in the first place, especially when things like this kept happening. I get it's summer now, and the weather can be a little uncomfortable, but they wear the exact same skirts to match their winter uniforms.
Sometimes, I really don't understand the way women in general think.
I watched a school girl cover her delicate before any human could glimpse them; no surprise there considering black lingerie was a bit too risque for students. I bore witness to a woman tripping over her heels before catching herself, and that was made ever funnier since she was dressed in more respectable clothing, maybe a CEO of some other company. A secretary or two spilled coffee when a gentle zephyr gave me a clear view of innocent white, and I think I found flowers on my stroll through city when a housewife rushed passed.
Maybe I'll be treated to something less generic, or maybe even nothing at all if the person is daring enough. To my surprise, I don't know if I should say satisfaction, there were those who wore safety shorts underneath and thereby protected their modesty. Really people should follow watch themselves more, and even if such a sight is pleasurable, seeing it too much will wear away the novelty of it at one point.
Like how Kill la Kill turned nudity into such a bad joke that I doubt that drawings of naked women would ever get me hot and bothered ever again.
Alright, what's the damage this time?
Stripes, what greeted my eyes were blue and white stripes and time seemed to move again as I looked around.
Oh hell no.
Well, I was asking for it after choosing to be here in the first place.
Taking a few tentative steps, I think for a second and try to weigh my options given the situation at hand.
On one hand, I could simply ignore this little development and walk away, much like I have been doing all day and would be doing well into the night before my little sister senses start tingling. All in all this is a less stressful option, as well as one with the least risk when it comes to being detected, or worrying all parties involved. If I just keep walking by, then everything goes according to plan, there will be no chance that things change before they have too and I get a quick ticket to power now that everything is finally looking up.
On the other, there was a little girl there, one that held an uncanny resemblance to my little sister, and I had no idea if she was doing fine or not. At the back of my mind, she's in pain and she needs someone to hold on too, even if in my eyes she would easily shake it off and get back on her feet... as soon as she recovers form her dizzy fit. Somewhere in the great universe, she is the reason for my defeat, the one factor that turned the tide in the end when all seemed lost to the hero. She could be, she was, my ruin and even now she may be the only thing needed to ruin everything.
But what kind of gentleman would I be if I decide to abandon a sweet little girl.
And with that thought in mind, I approach the recovering form of Asia Argento.
She was just as small and meek as the anime portrayed her, the picture of innocence as she rubbed her head and knelt on the ground. I couldn't help but smirk as she looked around, a light dust of rose on her cheeks like a child caught doing something silly just in time for a camera flash. Despite her being a devil, there was a strange aura around her, like her very own magic seemed to make the world around her all the more bearable, a little bit more like God -COULD YOU CUT THAT OUT!- is here despite the darkest faults of humanity.
It was like watching a meeker Ravel all things considered, and I could just feel the shiver down my spine as I approached.
Girls like that were dangerous, especially because they never mean any harm.
"You alright, sweetheart?" I could only giggle, yeah that's right giggle, as her eyes snapped over to me and she blushed an even brighter shade of red. "You didn't take to much of a fall, right?"
"Um... no, I mean everything's fine but..." Alright, now if she could weaponize that expression, you know the one where a puppy looks like if its deciding to fall asleep or to try and continue playing, I'm sure the Devils would have won the Great War by now. "It's just that... ano..."
"Alight, let's just get you fixed up." I had to take control of the tempo here, or she would have me wrapped up around her finger even when she doesn't even know it. Shut up, I know I have a weakness for cute things, and yes I'm dreading the moment I meet someone like Ophis.
I offered the sweet little thing my hand, one she gladly took I helped her up. She was much lighter than what I would have expected from a female supposedly in the second year of high school, but then again that was probably the improved strength talking. Don't worry, I was the perfect gentleman, making sure to kneel down just so I can adjust her clothes, the school uniform she wore now dusty and ruffled up from the fall. I couldn't exactly do much about the dust without resorting to magic, but at the very least when I backed away, her uniform was clear of creases.
"Better?" I may have been overdoing it a bit as when my eyes finally met hers once more, she seemed to be all panicky about it.
The way she looked away and twiddled her was nothing short of devastating, and for a girl who was supposedly too innocent to know when guys were making advances, she seemed to have trouble having people baby her. She was mumbling incoherently, and though I couldn't understand what she said I vaguely remembered her history. More than the love of a man, she always dreamed of the love of a family; enter now the Big Brother Aura I've been projecting non-stop since my entrance into the human world.
Maybe I have some avenue of attack after all. Let's see just how far I can take this.
"Hey, you okay little one?" Of course, there's a million ways to get her attention at this point, but since I have decided to push this as far as possible I go use the most 'in your face' method. With delicate fingers, I tap on her nose and flash her a gentle smile as her eyes once more zero on me.
Of course at that moment she was already starting to regain her senses, but that sudden action caused enough surprise in her that she reacted how most people did. She flinched back. But this is Asia we're talking about, and even if she was a shy, meek, and innocent little girl, we have to emphasize little girl in most situations, so when she flinched back, she really flinched back.
Like a startled little kitten, she leapt back in surprise possessing all the jumping power of the little animal but definitely none of the balance and finesse. As a result, she was reduced to flailing her arms about as she struggled to regain her balance after her landing, all the while as I watched with growing affection. Really, this was just like watching a baby animal show; as long as you have nothing against cute things, you're bound to fall in love with those bundles of fur.
Anyway, she had exactly one and a quarter second before she began leaning back and falling once more, intent on landing badly with just how much she moved in a futile attempt to regain balance. Well, that was why I allowed this situation to happen to begin with, and so with speed just at the limits of what humans are capable of, I take a step forward.
My arm snaked its way to the small of her back as my other hand clasped one of her flailing wrists with a gentle but firm grip. I hold her up and hold her close, smiling at the nun turned devil before righting her once more, eyes studying how she would react. It must have been a weird scene, straight out of a dance if my posture was correct; at the very least she seemed to think so, her arms slack as she stared in silence, unable to muster enough power to shake herself out of the trance.
I don't know how long we stay like that, though I could't have been for more than a minute: the lighting hasn't changed from vermilion to light lavender yet. Either way, whatever moment we had ended when I placed her arm back to her side and take a step back, breaking away from her with a self-satisfied nod. I don't know if I imagined it but she fought herself from shifting with me, leaning into my touch while it lasted and becoming quite at a loss now that the momentary warmth was gone.
What I'm sure I didn't imagine was a noise that almost brought out my wrath. "ASIA!" His main concern was the little girl of course, though what was once worry turned to suspicion when my eyes met his. "Who is this?"
I fought back the glare that would form, keeping my aura in check, as my eyes fell on what was to be my downfall. "Issei-san!" Asia beside me seemed to take his call as the signal to rush to her side, taking a tentative look at me before once more addressing the perverted dragon. "It's just a misunderstanding. I just fell and... um..."
"I think it would be fitting that I introduce myself to the lady first." I give her an understanding smile before bowing my head, low enough to show respect but high enough to ensure equality at most. "Mifune Suzaku, at your service." I turn to the boy, the one who would be destroyed this time, and smiled as convincingly as I possibly could. "You should take care of you're little sister more, poor thing was tripping over herself trying to... catch up to you?"
That got her attention, Asia once more stuttering denials as Issei seemed to be wondering what could have gotten her so worked up. "Thank you for your help, Suzaku-san, but it isn't like that."
"Oh, well my apologies then, what was I thinking." No need to hold back now and its always best to test banter outside a fight first. "Asia-san called you Issei-san, correct?" He nodded. "Then you shouldn't have left your lover alone. I personally don't think she's old enough to qualify as such, but that doesn't allow you to just run so far ahead of her. What if she had gotten hurt?"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Now it was Issei's turn panic, Asia having been silenced after that particular comment. The little girl adored the pervert so much she didn't even catch the tidbit about me seeing her as a child. "I think you're really reading too much into this, Mifune. I mean, yeah its my bad that I left her alone and I would hate for her to get hurt, but we're not like that!"
I looked to Asia, smiling at her weakly as the blushing face of a maiden in love shifted into an unforgiving frown, and went back to the oblivious pervert. "Could have fooled me, Issei-san." I shook my head, both alleviate the ache that was starting to take hold as well as to signal to the girl that, no hitting the boy for being an idiot would not help. "I am curious though. If you don't mind my asking, what had you in such a hurry that you sped ahead of your... companion?"
"Issei, Asia! Where are you two?"
Ah, so it really is just think of the Devil and she would appear. I really didn't think it would work though, and now the true test begins.
Descriptions easily fail to do her justice though, from the novel's words to images drawn, nothing could prepare me for the woman I was supposed to marry. Perhaps this was their trait at work, and if a male Gremory could easily garner the love of women no matter the age, it was no surprise that their one daughter was beautiful beyond words. She was... well I wouldn't say angelic or divine considering the implications, but I wouldn't deny that she easily surpassed any in my peerage in the looks department.
Her figure was one cut from marble, a work of art in itself with how perfect her proportions were and I almost envied the pervert for seeing her naked form first, before even the one she was beholden to. Her hair was a lush river cut from the sunset, red so crimson that even blood, and I have seen blood, couldn't compare to the radiance it held in the dying sunlight. Emeralds searched for her children, those of her peerage, with the gentleness of a mother and a light that would make any heart skip a beat.
I would admit if it wasn't in my head that all this could simply be Glamour at work, I might have fallen for her on the spot.
Well played, Gremory, well played indeed.
"Buchou, we're sorry we're late." Issei said with renewed energy as both he and the girl hiding behind him joined their King. "I kind of lost Asia on my way there."
"It's my fault, Buchou." Asia spoke up from behind the boy. "I tripped a few times- "A few times? So it really does happen more often than I thought. "-so I couldn't catch up to Issei-san."
"Don't worry about them." Alright, she shouldn't be able to smile like that, especially with what's hanging over her head. "As long as you two are safe, it's fine. It was a simple job anyway, it doesn't matter that you two weren't there to see it." It took her a while to finally notice my presence, but when she finally did it was with a polite smile.
"You must be the one who took care of these two. I am Rias Gremory, you have my thanks for taking care of these children." She began slowly, almost unsure as to what comes next. She must have been confused to some extent, though her polite persona couldn't condone leaving me to my devices after 'taking care' of her two 'friends'.
I gladly gave her an out. "The pleasure was mine, Miss Gremory. I am Mifune Suzaku and I must say Asia was a delight to be with, despite the short time we spent together." Alright, so far so good; there's no look of suspicion in her eyes, just simple understanding as she gave a quick nod. I guess that means I can press my advantage. "I'll leave the two lovebirds to it then. Nice meeting you, Miss Gremory."
I caught a glimpse of her shadowed expression as I left. I heard the goodbyes of both the nun and the pervert but aside from that, there was nothing that stopped me from strolling out of the park and on my merry way.
It was awkward, it was clunky and there wasn't much purpose to that, but at the very least I knew that the disguise worked, and they were either shit at sensing or I had enough control to keep the feel of a Devil out of it. Infiltration was a success, now my newest problem was how to make this work for me a bit more.
I know...
Maybe I can wait a few days before I bring the hammer down.
As the metal was not yet hot, I guess it is only appropriate that I personally fan the flames.
"It's been a while since I've been to the human world."
Yup, after weeks of preparation, and infiltration, we're finally here. I was currently standing in the middle of their old school building, in the room where the Occult Research Club while Rias and her meager army watch my back. I could already feel their stared boring into me, picking up curiosity from some of the younger members and killing intent from the one I actually came to see.
Even with my eyes apparently admiring the rustic yet noble decor of the room, I was sizing them up while they wore their power like one would don bright clothing. All of them, save Grayfia of course, had certain power about them that even if none actually exerted it outright, it provided a measure of their strength for me to compare to my own.
Frankly, I wasn't impressed.
At this point, most of them felt weak, almost laughably so that it made Riser losing the way he did even more humiliating now that I could actually quantitatively describe their power levels.
Asia Argento, well she was really a non-factor when it came to pure combat, but her affinity for healing was something that put even my Phoenix Tears to shame. Of course, prior statement was only true to rating games, when the totally hax Phoenix Tears were restricted to two uses, but that was the combat situation so there was no getting around the fact that they had more healing potential than we had. In terms of pure power though, as far as what I felt went, I would rate her a solid fifteen to maybe thirty, depending on how much her power would spike during the actual game.
Kiba Yuuto was more of a front-line fighter than a support unit, though he is definitely one of the most versatile members of their team. His Sacred Gear is even more unfair given the nigh-limitless possibilities when making his swords. I have an inkling that even this is imagination powered more than anything, and that limits it's potential only to the creativity of the user. In truth, I fear for what he would be able to accomplish if he ever looks up Bleach, maybe Fate/Stay Night, and Inuyasha for inspiration; his Holy Demonic Swords really are just a waste of potential. His power level peaks around a general fifty, definitely dangerous when you take Gift into account.
Shirone, because I think it's degrading to call her 'kitten', is by far the most durable of them all, her station as a rook doing very well for her even before she had begun embracing her heritage. Her frame and natural agility is very close to casual knight level, while her strength and durability have much more room to grow considering her inexperience with senjutsu. I don't know how much effort she expended in defeating Xuelan in the anime and novels, but the fact that she did so while having more than enough power to go on was already a testament to her skill. Overall I would rate her an easy sixty five, only greater than Kiba since I would think she would win should they have a true confrontation.
Ignoring Gaspar for the moment, Akeno was undoubtedly the most powerful among them. She specialized in lightning magic, but it was that same lighting magic that managed to defeat my queen, who was powerful even before we began training. This is even made more impressive when you think about is, since it doesn't even have the holy affinity Baraqiel was feared for and yet it still defeated an experienced queen. Assuming she has no close combat experience to speak of, I would respectfully rate her power at a decent five hundred, much higher than the other kids since they were taken out by a single explosion from my own queen, tired or not.
Rias Gremory, the woman whose Glamour -come on, no on is that pretty- is still affecting me, was a threat due to her power of destruction though she was the least threatening to be perfectly honest. At this point, she was either a master manipulator or horribly incompetent but when it comes to combat it was quite obvious that she was the latter. It might have been just the curse of their power, since even Sirzechs doesn't strike me was imaginative, just plain overpowered. I would say that her power, not counting her skill in using it, would land her a respectable one thousand five hundred, only because she managed to last against me, as well as my queen in combined assault, regardless of how much power we were putting into it.
The pervert, at this moment in time, was at very best a one.
Yeah, it was that bad, again making the end defeat much, much more humiliating but not altogether impossible.
Assuming old Riser was around the thrice the power level as Rias, three on one being the least odds for guaranteed victory, it would still be fine. Promotion to queen is an increase by the factor of nine, coupled by his max boost which would be around twelve, grants a total multiplier in excess of thirty six thousand. That would grant a total power almost above my own current base strength after the non-stop training, and we're not even counting the Holy objects he had.
I hate to admit it, but in terms of pure damage dealing, he would probably win a straight up fight against me if he simply boosts the cross and holy water while Scale Mail remains active.
It was no surprise old Riser conceded that with Scale Mail even Issei was a monster. Hell, given base power alone, I'm sure that if this math is perfectly accurate, he would be my equal after promotion and twelve boosts.
Good thing none of that mattered no that I've made sure to take precautions. So with a genuine smile plastered on my face, I turn to greet my tentative fiance. "My lovely Rias. I came to see you."
This scene was always a bit forced for me, even when seen through the anime, but now that I was there it seemed even more ridiculous just how Issei was reacting in the middle of his fellow peerage members. Even Asia was able to reign in her emotions, though not by much, compared to the boy who seemed to like wearing his heart on his sleeve. Most of them silently seethed as I spoke in such a loving manner, Asia being an exception being definitely surprise, but Issei was special.
He was trying, and subsequently failing, to pick up his jaw from the ground as I flashed my 'beloved' a smile. If I read the novel right, he was wondering what was going on around now, as I make my approach with all the grace a noble could afford. Grayfia, the only outlier here, was stoic as could be, reacting as if this was just another day in the office for her; I'm sure it was considering everything Lucifer did as a crazy bastard.
"Now dear, we have to pay a visit to the ceremony hall. It's been beautifully arranged for us, but then again I would prefer that we see it just to make sure everything is perfect for the big day." Like the man himself, I ignore her semi-attractive glare as I approach as casually as possible and wonder how angry sex with her must feel like; it must be something if her desperation sex is just jumping in there with whoever was willing.
To keep in line with what happened, I take her hand, arm is a bit too rapey for me, as gently as possible and raised it to my lips before she could utter a word of protest. I'm sure this Issei must be outraged by now, I'm playing with his precious King and he can't do anything about it.
"...Let go of me Riser..." It didn't matter whether or not she saw that particular attack coming, she shook my hand off all the same as she threatened me with an ominous tone. I had to struggle not to flinch as her hand moved, the back of her palm milimeters from striking my cheek as she crossed her arms and I returned my to my sides.
She was positively furious, not like it particularly mattered at this point, as her power unconsciously began to flow throughout the room, not enough to bring out the glow of power we tended to radiate when we actually got serious, but more than enough to make any lesser being sweat. I smirked as the novel dictated but not at Rias being adorably angry and more at the reaction of her peerage, mainly Issei, at my less than acceptable actions.
I'm trying to mix it up bit but all in all I need things to go canon for the moment.
It should come any time now. "Hey, you. You're being rude to Buchou." I would admit that actually hearing him talk seriously was amazing, all the other times we did meet after that awkward bump was 'oppai' this and 'harem' that. I did say something about preparing the furnace before striking the iron, so of course a bit of stuff happened between then and now. This is the first time I ever saw him angry in person, but his next line was quite funny. "Actually, what's with that attitude towards a girl?"
There was a certain humor that accompanied his clearly hypocritical statement, and though he didn't see it, the rest of his peerage seemed to find his choice of words inappropriate considering his own reputation. Again, I've spent enough time discussing anime, both M-rated and otherwise, with him to know that as good of a guy as he was at heart, if you could even call him that, he was still a baseless pervert in the end.
I tried to hold on to that feeling of disbelief when I looked at him, the warmth of my expression quickly vanishing as I stared at him like he was an idiot. Really, he was so at least that part wasn't as difficult. I fought down the urge to smile as he began fuming, the festering anger at being looked down on rising within him yet had no notable or intimidating effect on the feel of his power. It was adorable all things considered, like a joke executed so horrible that you had no choice but to laugh, if only to numb the headache such an attempt on humor left.
"Who are you again?" The novel said that he sounded displeased, and it didn't happen in the anime, but I tried to sound more genuinely confused at the moment. Kind of like the way you would talk to a girl who was for some reason in the men's room; definitely perplexed at the situation. I tried not to channel hatred into my voice or my aura, only because he really wasn't worth expending so much energy over.
It was kind of the ant and the boot thing, where the boot doesn't exactly pay attention to the ant when said ant can't hope to damage the boot.
I guess he isn't that bad of an idiot, if he managed to connect my confusion to the fact that I was really looking down on him. "I am the servant Devil of Rias Gremory-sama! I'm the Pawn, Hyoudou Issei!" I was astonished at how much pride he managed to inject in a sentence that admitted he was a servant, and once more in my eyes he was just that stupid.
"Hmm." I played with the revelation for a while eyes upwards as I brought my fingers to my chin. I pondered a bit: it was such a waste that potential like the Boosted Gear was wasted on this pervert. It really called into question why it went to him, when the sacred gear was supposed to match the wielder more often than not. That was a problem for another day, I've stalled for enough time to make this next comment more hurtful "Is it just me, or was that second question a bit strange?"
I have no doubt that this would ultimately lead to the rating game, as long as I antagonize Rias enough, so there was no reason I couldn't do a bit of a roast here.
I am a firebird after all.
Sure enough, I had a few reactions around the room; Kiba actually chuckling despite himself, while the more loyal Akeno fought back the smile that flashed on her lips. Shirone shook her head and muttered something about Issei being a pervert, and Asia, the innocent soul, simply continued staring at me with confusion. Rias's eyes widened in surprise, the makings of a smile on her lips as she remembered who told the joke, and then she was all anger and brooding again, probably chiding herself since she was dealing with a supposed 'master seducer'.
Issei was just confused, the joke flying way above his head. "Huh?"
So in my benevolence, I decided to help him out. "I don't know you, and I'm sure Rias hasn't introduced me, but something in the air tells me you are the last person to be telling me how to treat women." I took a few sniffs, as if tasting the air for something that definitely wasn't there, but they and more specifically he didn't need to know that. "Are you, perhaps, a shameless pervert?"
His reaction to the question was priceless: equal parts disbelieving that I managed to 'find out' through smell of all things, anger that I was being so casual about it even if he was trying to be as intimidating as possible and shame that it was true and he really wasn't the most qualified on lecturing me about proper treatment of women. He seemed to be struggling to form a comeback when Grayfia stepped forward and began the introductions.
There was not much I could do form her on out now that she took the wheel, though his reaction to the engagement was quite funny. Like everyone else though, he suddenly turned serious when he realized that Rias didn't exactly approve of the engagement and when her willingness was in question the situation became less of a joke and more of a crisis. The lull in excitement was what allowed Grayfia to usher us to the couches, and like the novel, we were separated so that I sat with Rias ans they were left to arrange themselves in whatever manner they wished.
It was at this moment that they decided to talk among themselves, so to try to break the awkward silence between us, I made the first move to strike a conversation. "The tea made by your queen is exquisite, Rias." Okay, not the best conversation starter by I'm more of a reactive guy. You give me something to work with before I quip and snark like there's no tomorrow. "Thank you, Akeno."
"You're very welcome." Ohh, that was cold, forced politeness dripping from her throat as she smiled at me with lidded eyes. Ignoring her then, as good and good looking as she is I don't really mind if she gets stuck with the perverted idiot. The only real reason why I'm here is that there is no reason for me to decline the marriage between us, especially since my parents really did arrange all of this with the Gremory family.
Rias had the right idea, the only real way out is to give ourselves away to another party, something that further proved that Riser wasn't as much of a philanderer as the anime portrayed, but if any one of us did that it would tarnish our family name. I have no idea about Rias, but my mother would go nuclear -I am being literal here- if word got out that I was sleeping around so for the safety of 'friend' I would rather remain faithful thank you very much.
Another strange tidbit was that I was actually one of the favorites among the male 'Young Devils' in the current generation. I mean I was second to Sairaorg and even now that was a gap I'm not exactly sure I would be able to close, but the fact that I was the next best thing, again the discrepancy in quality was very large, landed me a spot as one of the most eligible and desirable bachelors. Rias being tied for first among the females I think, just a bit behind Sona when tactics are considered, made us hooking up look like a match made in ... you get the point.
She didn't reply, and that was to be expected but when I was about to try and continue our one-sided discussion, canon stepped in. "Stop it already!" Well, that was quick, and I haven't even said anything yet.
She was on her feet in a heartbeat, eyes glaring down at me. "Raiser! I told you before! I will not marry you!"
"Yeah, I heard that before. But Rias, that won't do, you know? I think the situation of your household is quite serious." I for one, just smirked, knowing full well how this conversation goes.
"That's none of your concern! If I'm the next heiress for the House of Gremory, then I will choose who will become my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in the clan are rushing it! Also it was a promise that I will be free until I graduate from university of the human world!"
"That's right. You will basically be free. You can go to college and you can do whatever you like with your servants. But your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They are afraid that your household will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the last war. Even if the war has ended, our rivalry with the Fallen Angels and God hasn't ended yet. It's not rare for the successors of pure-blood Devil to get killed in the worthless battle against them, which leads to the household becoming extinct. So for a pure-blood Devil that also happens to be a High-class Devil, getting together would be the obvious solution for the forces of Devils. A pure-blood High-class Devil. Even you know that these children will be important from now on, right?"
I knew how it went, but I would say that the way he worded it was a bit too blunt. It really did give off the impression that all he cared about in this situation was his actual standing, and was using this to get another girl, his first girl, into his bed. Maybe that was how he actually felt, that after he does manage to get Rias, he would be able to fuck anyone he wanted as long as they gave consent. It was a win win, he would have a trophy wife as well as a massive harem waiting for him after he gets married.
But I'm not exactly like that, no matter how admittedly hot the girls were, so I decided to be a bit more lenient. "I don't need to explain the situation, but this marriage has your family's future on the line. I'm not saying that I'm the only option, but all parties involved would not deny that, unless you want to marry your cousin, I'm the best one. I doubt you want to let your nephew shoulder the responsibility, so unless you are unwilling to take a husband, you're family would soon be crushed. You would actually be the Crimson Princess of Ruin, and I'm sure no one wants that. Do you really want to continue to fight this, when everyone has your best interests at heart?"
I was walking on a delicately blurred line here, the moment I alluded to her nephew, the pressure of the Strongest Queen hit me full force. There was a hint of distaste as well when I mentioned the current Strongest Young Devil, but other than that I made sure my piece was more opinion than fact. Why would that help? It would look like I actually cared, and that this wasn't merely a factual negotiation of assets between two families. I tried to bridge the emotional gap, though I may have put a bit too much out there that it backfired.
Well, all according to plan after all.
Her eyes were narrowed, serious but no longer angry. "I will not ruin my own household and when the time comes, I will have a husband." She paused, eyes on me as if waiting for me to interrupt her though I give her a polite smile and nodded, signaling for her to continue. That was enough to disrupt her balance, but she continued on, the hint of hesitation almost too minuscule to perceive. "But I won't marry you, Raiser. I will marry the one I acknowledge. Even the Devils from the old noble house have the right to choose."
"Then it is clear we are at an impasse here." Shit, I was just about to threaten her when I realized that Grayfia has been eyeing me a bit strangely, almost as if waiting for me to slip up. Right now threatening her son doesn't seem to be the best course of action, forcing me to go for the more diplomatic approach. At the very least Issei still has no idea just how strong I really am and he seems more prone to underestimate people rather than overestimate them. "Grayfia-sama, are you here, perhaps, with a solution just in case we find ourselves in this particular situation?"
If the Strongest Queen was surprised that I didn't threaten to take Rias away and I somehow knew about their last resort, she didn't comment. It went much quicker when I wasn't so inclined to antagonize her at every turn, and soon enough she has both our sides in agreement. There, now the battle was set and all we had to do was wait for the agreement on date.
I was again at a cross roads, but if I was taking refuge in audacity then there was no turning back. I was supposed to be an asshole before, and considering I was still alive, then it shouldn't have had too much bearing on me right? I could get away with things for a moment, which meant that I would have to push my advantage now that the actual battle was all but confirmed.
In short that was my cue to start taunting.
"Rias, are these the only servants going to be participating?"
"And what if they are?" Her eye really did twitch as she summoned as much bravado as she could when facing my condescending smirk.
"Then I would call you stupid agreeing to this fight, against me of all people." I gestured towards her peerage, or the distinct lack of it before laughing through my nose. "Only your Queen, The Priestess of Thunder, would be able to fight on par with my servants. This wouldn't even be called a battle at this rate!" My fingers snapped, and the circle of summoning formed behind me as all fifteen servants of mine emerged from the roaring flames.
I told them that this was the last time they would get to wear their old attire, just so their first appearance here would be just like in canon. Marion and Bürent were in their maid uniforms, while Ni and Li, Ile and Nel, matched each other in their school uniforms. Mira was allowed her wooden stick and red kimono one last time, while Karlamine and Siris donned their respective armors. Isabela was a biker again, Mihae in her kimono and Xuelan in her open blue quipao, while Yubelluna retained her robes and Shuriya was once more a belly dancer.
Personally I didn't like how hodgepodge it was, sure it had all the types, but there was no true unifying factor which made it truly whole instead of plain messy. Of course, Issei didn't agree; the sight was enough to move him to tears. "Rias?" I began almost naturally, it really wasn't hard to mask my voice when I was genuinely perplexed as to how this situation could occur. "Is your pawn really crying?"
"That boy's dream is to have a harem." Rias was equally confused, if not a bit more resigned. "Seeing your servants was probably enough to move him."
"Gross."
"Raiser-sama, this person is freaking me out."
There was no mention of who said it, and I didn't want to follow the manga on this one; both twins are cute though I'm not and never been a loli person, so I tasked my maids for this line. I then took both in my arms, one over each's shoulder before I 'reassured' them than everything was fine. "Don't say that, my cute girls. Looking up to upper stream folks is what a lowly ones does. Let's show them how passionate we are."
I missed how Issei reacted to my archaic way of putting things when Mairon captured my lips with hers, in a fashion more aggressive than I would have liked. Thankfully, as being confined didn't allow me much practice, it was muscle memory from there, my hand gently making its way to the base of her neck as she threw her arms around me to deepen the contact. She was quite feisty if I would say, her tongue hungrily fighting mine as we engaged in a sort of dance, push and pull, coil and release. I could tell she liked the strawberries this morning, I could still taste the slightly sweet and sour tang in her mouth, while she smelled faintly of mint; very pleasant if I do say so myself.
As if given an invisible signal, she broke away from me, her eyes still hazy with desire as soft hands guided my cheeks to face the other woman I held. Bürent was more of a submissive lover, quite content to allow me to do what I wished instead of pushing herself into me as what her partner did. I hope I didn't disappoint, my own movements being dictated by half-forgotten memories not even mine in the first place, but with the way she was moaning into me, I don't thing I did that bad. I had a bit of trouble pulling away, apparently Bürent was a biter at least when I tried to break the contact, but after a few moments of tickling her tongue, I managed to escape before she could sink her fangs in me.
Note to self, taking away their only outlet for sexual frustration wasn't exactly the best idea. I mean, I like the idea of girls pining for my affections, even to the extent to them working together in and out of bed, but there is a time and place for that. Their sexual tendencies surfaced several times during training, and I'm thankful that I managed to keep them from doing anything more. Still, this repressed sexual desire must be dealt with, unless it gets to a point that I would have to make out with them in combat.
This isn't Campione after all, this was DXD.
I would have to either reinstate myself as their 'boy toy' so to speak just to keep sex from dominating their thoughts or set them up and hope that it ends well. Either way, this was not the time to think about how to sate the lust of my peerage, sans Ravel.
Shudder, nope, definitely not touching the incest route here.
Anyway, after smiling at the disappointing expressions of both my maids, I mouth 'later' to them before facing the pervert. There was a sense of pride in my eyes as I said exactly what he was thinking. "You will never be able to do this." And funny thing is, it was probably true considering that only Akeno seemed willing to share in the near future.
"Don't say what I think you were saying! Damn it! Boosted Gear!" The fact that he admitted his sin gave me pause, but not as much as the revelation of the Boosted Gear did. It was that red gauntlet that pointed a clawed talon to me, power emanating from his arm so undeniable that I was ready to strike him down at any moment. "A womanizer like you isn't good enough to be with Buchou!"
"Huh? Weren't you looking up to the so-called womanizer?" It was just so easy to deal with this one, especially when it's scripted.
"S-Shut up! That's different with the thing about Buchou! At this rate, you will continue to flirt with other girls even after you marry Buchou!"
"Heroes love women. That's a saying in the human world, right? A good phrase indeed. But this is just a close relationship with my servants. Aren't you also getting adored by Rias?" Two for two, as one more time he gave pause, reminiscing about the different moments they were 'close'. I kiss my servants, passionately yes, but I'm pretty sure they haven't seen me naked yet.
"Hero my ass! You are just a bird guy! Fire bird Phoenix? Hahaha! That's the same as Yakitori!" He seemed oh so smug when he said that, like it was the burn to end even me, a Phoenix, but really it was boring. I'm sure the old Riser was just angry that Issei talked back to him, not because of the pain such an insult caused him. Really, this is playground level insults he's trying to throw at me.
Just as he began speaking, my hands found the breasts of Mai and Ren, my fingers sinking into the soft mounds as I teased quickly hardening nipples. At the abruptness of my action, they released pleasure-filled cries, soft and intimate rather than the loud calls so popular in pornography. "Can you say that one more time, virgin? I couldn't hear you over my women moaning, but of course you know how that is, having watched so many scenes like this through a screen."
"Hey Yakitori-guy! I will just beat the crap out of you with my Boosted Gear!" A god-killing weapon in his hand, he seemed very confident and for very good reason. In less than two weeks, he would have defeated me if I didn't take precautions. "We don't need to have a game! I will just take you all down, right here, right now!"
[Boost]
It was cool that I could hear the sound of the Dragon even as he powered up, the gauntlet gaining power as the emerald gained a powerful glow. Still, as powerful as the gauntlet itself was, Issei was next to useless compared to me, even if he manages to grow as much as he would. Pure-bloods with talent can only grow stronger if they trained, and I think I've trained enough to last... maybe two minutes against the Strongest youth.
Hey, it's not much, but at the very least I can cream Issei like he was nothing.
Anyway, back to taunting me fiance and her entourage. "Now normally I would be insulted, but if your offering, I would love to end this as quickly as possible." I turn to Grayfia, who seemed to have been all stoic throughout the ordeal. "Would it be acceptable that I simply destroy this lowly Pawn to win my wife? It wouldn't take more than a couple seconds, rather than going though all the preparations required for a rating game."
"I'm afraid that such a thing isn't possible, Riser-sama." If she was any less of a woman, she would have probably added 'duh'. "I'm sure the young mistress knows her position, and would not do something so stupid, as her Pawn suggested."
"True, I mean what kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't at least offer handicap." I nod to myself, ignoring the outrage on Issei's face at being ignored. I turn to my fiance with the biggest shit eating grin I could muster. "Would ten days be enough for you? I mean, your Pawn seems to be raring to go now, but I doubt you would do something so stupid. In the spirit of the moment, I'm sure if it's you, you would be able to strengthen an old crow, a broken weapon, a beast, a traitor, and a lizard with a dick smaller than his already tiny brain." I found myself chuckling as their killing intent skyrocketed, each and every one of them hit where it hurts most.
There was no wonder how I knew, just the resolve to kill me now that I gave them a chance. She no longer cared about pride, I had trampled on that as much as I could. She didn't care that I was baiting her, she knew that the moment I stepped in the room. She didn't even care that, clearly there was something wrong with how I steered the conversation, she was just so blinded that she could barely see me as anything other than an enemy.
Just as planned.
"I promise, we will utterly RUIN you Riser." Rias growled in defiance, fueled by the rage her Peerage felt towards me.
"Excellent, I can't wait to see you try, darling." And with that, I made my escape.
The seeds of her destruction have been sowed, now all that was left to do was wait for the harvest to come.
"Thanks for all-" I wasn't even allowed to finish my sentence when we materialized in my living room, when me Queen captured my lips with hers.
In the heat had an entirely new meaning now
Well, it also looked like I had a different problem on my hands...
Chapter 4 good people. Longest chapter to date, because notebook in the mountains provided much.
I was surprised how accurate my thoughts were in relation to canon, I had no novel to fall back on when I wrote this.
Mountains were fun, really clears your head and all that. I kind of said there would be training part 2 but I was just so bored with that, I jumped right into canon. Tell me what you guys think, I haven't changed much yet, but as soon as this arc is over, things would be very, very different. Well not really, I need some canon for SI-Riser to take advantage of, but other then that, things will changed.
Suggestions be through pm and reviews please. I will reply to questions when I can, and flames will be laughed at
See you all next time, maybe