Chapter 24: Summer vacation in the Underworld. Deep conflict and Dragon encounter.
I do not own anything from any media.
Dark Pit was at his place, sleeping. Summer vacation has started for the students in Kuoh. From his left, Raynare was sleeping nearby, holding on to his arm. From his right, Kuroka was sleeping on his arm, pressing herself on him.
'Hmmm... Something feels s...'
Dark Pit's thoughts were immediately stopped when he felt the sensation on his arms. This made him wake up from his sleep. Upon waking up, he noticed Raynare and Kuroka sleeping with him. He didn't get too surprised though.
'It was not a dream after all... We've actually...done that' he thought, blushing.
The girls that were near him started to wake up. They both saw Dark Pit's face looking rather red.
"Good morning, Dark Pit-kun." They said simultaneously.
They gave a kiss at his cheeks. Dark Pit couldn't help but smile meekly.
"Good morning, you two. Summer vacation has finally started." He stated.
"I know. It'll be fun for us to go to a different place for ourselves." Raynare said.
"I could say the same thing, nya." Kuroka said.
Dark Pit chuckled as the girls were up close to him, smiling. He made a playful but soft poke on their foreheads that got their attention.
"I know you two want to have me kiss you, but I have to prepare breakfast for everyone." Dark Pit said.
The girls giggled in response. They let Dark Pit go. He then walked to the kitchen to start making breakfast.
"Time for some soba noodles. The weather is rather hot today." Dark Pit said to himself.
While he was making the soba noodles, Akeno was sneaking in the kitchen. She took notice of Dark Pit, who was making breakfast. She decided to sneak up on him. Unfortunately, Dark Pit was sensing her and pretended not to notice. When Akeno was about to hug him up close, he used the Chaos Gear.
{CHAOS TIME STOP!}
Time suddenly flashed froze. Dark Pit moved away from Akeno as slowly as he can. He snapped his fingers to cancel the ability, causing Akeno to hug nothing but air. This made her look around in confusion whole Dark Pit snickered.
"Nice try, Akeno. I sensed you the moment you sneaked in the kitchen. Still, never surprise a chef at the kitchen, okay?" Dark Pit stated.
Akeno nodded, pouting due to her inability to hug Dark Pit. She looked away in fake pain. This made him smirk as he walked up to her and hugged her from behind, surprising Akeno.
"D-Dark Pit-kun... Hasty, aren't we?" Akeno teased with a stutter.
"Oh? Did I hear a stutter? Perhaps I didn't hear it well." Dark Pit said with a teasing tone.
Akeno didn't realize it, but Dark Pit decided to act playful on her. He placed both of his hands near Akeno's ribs and began to tickle her. This made her laugh uncontrollably as Dark Pit's hands glided on her skin.
"S-stop, D-Dark Pit-kun. I-It t-tickles..." Akeno said in between laughs.
He then released Akeno, allowing her to catch her breath. This made Dark Pit chuckle in response.
"Had a good tickle, Akeno? Perhaps that should teach you not to sneak up on me." Dark Pit said playfully.
Raynare and Kuroka heard the laughter from Akeno. They looked at the kitchen to see Dark Pit disciplining her in a playful tone.
"Those two will end up together one day... Akeno also wanted to be with him." Raynare said.
"I have a feeling you're right. I'm sure that you don't have any problems. We all love him for who he is, nya." Kuroka said.
By then, Dark Pit performed a daring action. He held Akeno in a bridal style, making her blush.
"Ara ara... Treating a fair maiden with such respect." She said.
Dark Pit smirked and used his light powers to give her a humoring sensation. This made her laugh from the sensation she felt.
"That's...hahahahaha...mean..." Akeno said, laughing uncontrollably.
"Serves you right, but hey, laughter's the best medicine." Dark Pit joked.
Raynare and Kuroka held their mouths shut, trying not to burst out laughing. Akeno's laughter was proving to be contagious as they struggled not to laugh. Dark Pit channeled his aura in Akeno's body to stop the laughing sensation. She was left out of breath when it stopped.
"You're sadistic sometimes and I love that." Akeno teased.
Dark Pit controlled his blushing but a faint pink color was on his face. He was able to hide it before anyone noticed.
'I don't know who she got this masochistic lifestyle from... Either I'm questioning myself like a doofus or I'm starting to get too soft.' He thought.
######
The quintet was walking to the academy. On their way, Issei, Asia and Irina were also walking nearby.
"Hey guys." Dark Pit said to Issei and his girlfriends.
"Morning Dark Pit." Issei said.
"The Occult Research Club called out to you?" Dark Pit asked.
"Yeah. They said were taking a summer trip to the Underworld." Issei said.
Dark Pit looked rather uncomfortable upon hearing the name.
'Of all the places I have to go to, that's the least I would think right now…' He thought.
Issei noticed Dark Pit's uncomfortable expression. This made him realize why.
'Oh man... I remembered his past months ago... I just hope he doesn't snap…' Issei thought.
Dark Pit's girlfriends were now concerned upon seeing his aura briefly spike.
'Haven't the Devils have caused enough damage to him already...? He looks like wanting to move away from the Underworld.' Raynare thought.
'Dark Pit-kun... I don't blame you for feeling this way. I had to deal with that for a lifetime.' Kuroka thought.
'Dark Pit-kun... Rias, don't make this a mistake for him. He looks ready to snap.' Akeno thought.
'Kuro-kun... I hope nothing goes wrong…' Xenovia said.
######
Dark Pit, Issei, and their respective girlfriends arrived at the Occult Research Club.
"Good, you all made it here. Everyone, we're heading to the Underworld for the summer." Rias stated.
Everyone looked at Dark Pit, who looked away with agitation. Rias, confused on his attitude, decided to question him.
"Is there anything wrong with going to my home?" Rias asked.
'A big issue at that…' Everyone thought.
"Don't tell me you forgot about what you saw on my memories…" Dark Pit said in a slight, cold tone.
Rias gasped, realizing what he meant.
"I'm sorry, but the Maous are throwing a party for the summer. There will be a meeting with the Norse Gods along with the Three factions." Rias said.
Dark Pit sighed with disdain. He may have been able to overcome Adonia's hate, but the Underworld will forever have a scar on his soul.
"If a fight breaks out, it's the one responsible so don't get in my way of someone wants to fight with me." He said coldly.
Rias noticed the cold tone from him. Everyone felt concerned for his attitude right now.
'Let's hope nothing happens…' Rias thought.
######
The club members were underground, at what appears to be a train station.
"So this is where you Devils travel from your home to the human world" Dark Pit said.
"Yes, this train is connected via dimensional gates. It allows any supernatural being to cross over to the Underworld." Rias explained.
By then, Azazel showed up.
"This train is owned by the Gremory family. It's not a surprise since they're one of the wealthiest in the Underworld." He said.
"Nice timing Azazel" Dark Pit said, showing signs of calming down.
"I figured if I came along, I can try to help alleviate your psychological scars from the Underworld. Since my presence seems to be doing its trick, I have a feeling I should stick along." Azazel said.
"Well, you're welcome to come aboard." Rias said to the fallen angel leader.
"Great! But I also have a couple of guests coming along". Azazel said.
By then, Palutena, Pit, Phosphora and Viridi came by. This immediately got Dark Pit angry.
"Why are they here?" He asked with venom.
"They also wanted to attend to this meeting. I also had a word with them not to do anything reckless. Since I noticed your sudden reaction, it's no surprise." Azazel explained.
Dark Pit held his angered look. He then walked inside the train.
"Be sure to not let anyone of them get near me. I have a cold history with them." The fallen angel said.
Palutena sighed in response. She was hurt from seeing Dark Pit's anger.
"I can't blame him... Our actions long ago are still fresh in his mind. The death of his past lover has made a deep wound that'll never heal." The goddess of light said.
"He's nothing but a whining black angel. Who cares about what he's enduring?" Viridi said.
A lightning bolt was hurled from a nearby train window that struck Viridi down, paralyzing her.
"I can still hear you inside the train." Dark Pit said.
Everyone sweat-dropped from the sudden display.
"Let's not get into his bad side, okay?" Pit said.
Everyone agreed to what the angel said. They all boarded the train quietly. Dark Pit was sitting far away from the Occult Research Club.
"Exactly how deep is this psychological scar...?" Issei questioned.
"It's deeper than we can all speculate. He has been battle weary ever since that terrible day with the Underworld. The word itself now became taboo to his hearing. Anyone that says it out loud would make Dark Pit angry." Palutena said.
Another lightning bolt was hurled across the car. Everyone dodged before they got electrocuted.
"Enough with that word already. It makes me sick hearing it." Dark Pit called out.
######
The train began to move. The Occult Research Club boarded on the second coach. Although it was moving at a quick pace, each second that passed was a minute to Dark Pit's perspective. He was rather edgy, making everyone feeling concern for him.
"He doesn't seem to be calming down... Rather, he looks more of a nervous wreck now." Raynare said with concern.
"I'm beginning to question whether the trip to the Underworld is worth going to or not…" Rias said.
Raynare decided to sit near Dark Pit, despite the silence.
"I'm not like this because of you, Raynare. This place will always have a negative feeling for me." Dark Pit answered.
This made Raynare cling on to him. Kuroka, feeling left out, joined in. Akeno decided to follow along as well.
'Please don't feel so down, Dark Pit-kun. It hurts to see you like this.' Kuroka thought.
Issei also looked rather edgy as well. He didn't reveal to anyone, but a hidden scar caused from Mittelt's assault, Riser harming Asia, and the attack at the meeting with the Three Factions in Kuoh made him uncomfortable. The events were replaying in his head.
'I am feeling the same way Dark Pit does... Although not as strong, I have this sudden urge to leave the Underworld…' Issei thought.
He kept his composure but he remained high-strung. He wasn't going to let any devil, ally or otherwise get close to him. The only exception was Rias, but even her presence could make him somewhat edgy. The red haired Gremory noticed Issei's quiet behavior, but remained silent, not wanting to question him.
'Issei, I don't understand why you look so nervous... I won't divulge on what's making you like this, but I can't help but feel worried.' Rias thought.
'Issei-kun…' Irina thought with concern.
######
At another coach, Palutena, Pit, Phosphora, and Viridi were talking.
"It has been a while since I last went to the Underworld." Pit said jovially.
"I know. We used to fight against Medusa before shades showed up." Palutena said.
"So this is the Underworld that your angel went to?" Viridi asked.
"We're not there yet. This train is using a dimensional gate that leads to our destination. Dimensional gates are like barriers which conceal realms for any supernatural race. Skyworld, Heaven, even Valhalla have them." Palutena said.
"Well, I had my curiosities of seeing it. Better make the most out of it to see for myself." Viridi stated.
"Just make sure to veer away from Dark Pit. I can sense his energy fluctuating like an ocean wave." Palutena said.
"Duly noted." Viridi said sarcastically.
######
At the second coach, Issei decided to alleviate his tension by talking.
"I recall that you guys use teleporting spells to get around. Why not used that instead of the train?" Issei questioned.
"Yes, but we can only teleport our peerage. Anyone else won't follow in the magic gate. It is also a traditional practice for new recruits to travel via the formal route." Rias answered.
Nearby, Koneko was with Gasper. She had a forlorn look.
"Is everything okay, Koneko? You haven't touched your snack…" Gasper said.
"I'll be okay. It's nothing." Koneko responded.
Rias and the others noticed the tone she had. It was similar to Dark Pit's attitude and Issei's nervousness. She decided to calm them down.
"We'll be arriving with Sitri shortly." She said.
"By 'Sitri', you're referring to..." Issei said.
By then, Sona and her peerage came inside the coach. Issei chuckled dryly in response.
"I had a feeling that it would be Sona." Issei remarked.
"Good day to you, Sona." Rias said.
"Same to you, Rias. We'll be sharing your train, Gremory. I thought it would be sensible for me to greet you before leaving the train." Sona said.
"Well, I'm dreading about this... It's not the Rating Games I'm worried about." Rias said, looking at Dark Pit.
Sona looked at Dark Pit, who was looking more high-strung than usual. She had a sympathetic expression.
"It's to be expected... He does have a nasty history of this realm... Just hope he doesn't snap, or things might get chaotic." Sona said.
"I'll make sure." Rias said.
"Also, this year, we have new competitors arriving. This year's Summer Rating Games will be exciting." Saji said.
"In any case, we'll be heading back to our coach. See you soon." Sona said.
By then, an announcement was heard.
"We'll be arriving at the Gremory Estate soon." The conductor said.
Everyone, saved for Dark Pit, went to the window. Upon looking out, they saw several towns in hexagonal shapes. The whole area spanned millions of acres of land.
"This is...the Gremory estate!?" Issei asked in shock.
"Yes, this is the territory that the Gremory family possesses." Akeno stated.
"In terms of size, it's roughly Japan's largest island, Honshu, for comparison." Kiba said.
By then, the train began to shake. It eventually halted to a stop. Everyone scrambled and fell on the floor.
"This is an emergency stop." The announcer said.
Everyone was on the floor. Issei was with Asia, pressing her body on top of his chest. Irina landed on his left arm. Her chest was directly on the back of his left arm. Rias was on his stomach. Dark Pit had Raynare on top of him with Kuroka and Akeno.
"Give me a break... Why did the train stop?" Issei complained.
"Tch... All the more reason to start angering me…" Dark Pit said, clicking his tongue.
Everyone managed to get up from the floor. Azazel came to the coach to explain what happened.
"Settle down, everyone. The major players will be arriving shortly. Wish they took some precautions about it." He said.
"Meaning?" Dark Pit asked.
"I'll get to that soon. In any case, the engine appears to have stopped. I'll have a look." Azazel said calmly.
Rias sighed in response. She then calmed herself to announce something.
"Anyway, a representative from Asgard will be joining for the conference." Rias said.
Dark Pit merely groaned with disinterest. Rias noticed the tone and knew what he would say.
"Seriously, another group of gods from different mythology? Better pray that the people in Asgard are...organized. You all recalled what happened to them when Ragnarok came in the story?" Dark Pit asked.
"Yeah, we know... Lucky for them, it didn't happen." Rias stated.
"Better hope the Olympians, Hindu, and Shinto gods aren't irresponsible. That's the last thing I need to hear." The dark angel stated.
"You seem to know about those factions, Dark Pit." Rias said in surprise.
"When you read from books, you know a lot of stuff." He remarked.
"Hold on though... This conference relates to the organization called Khaos Brigade, right?" Issei asked.
"Yes, an anti-terror conference. Asgard won't be the only faction with gods that'll be involved." Rias said.
"That means we'll need to settle their differences for now. I don't like this one bit though." Dark Pit said.
"Why do you say that Dark Pit?" Rias questioned.
"There's always some rogue god that wants to cause destruction. If that were to happen, I may question their discipline or simply kill the rogue god." Dark Pit stated.
"Surely you realize that challenging a God will get you killed." Rias declared.
"That goddess of calamity, Pandora, was one of the rogue gods that I knew. Since you saw my memories, you already know that I'm more than capable of doing so." Dark Pit said.
"That I don't doubt… You did managed to kill a god or two in your world." Rias conceded.
By then, a powerful aura surrounded the train. This got everyone on edge.
"Something's coming." Dark Pit stated.
By then, a flash of light shined out. The train disappeared, causing everyone to fall separately.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed.
######
Dark Pit and Issei woke up from being unconscious.
"Ugh... What the heck...? That was an instant teleportation spell." Dark Pit said.
"Looks like we're at some kind of mountain range... For that matter, where are we?" Issei questioned.
The boys noticed everyone on the ground. They managed to help snap them back to consciousness.
"What's with the sudden arrival here?" Pit questioned.
"I don't know, but it seems like it was sudden." Palutena said.
"Seriously, that was like, so uncomfortable. A meeting shouldn't happen like this." Phosphora complained.
"Tone down the sass, Phosphora. There must be a reason we're here." Viridi said.
"Seems like we have a guest honor coming up." Rias said.
"It's him, isn't it?" Sona said.
By then, heavy steps were heard. The force of the steps caused some of the local cliffs to have landslides. This got everyone on edge. A large figures showed itself. Issei and Dark Pit instantly knew what it was.
"A dragon!?" The boys shouted in surprise.
The dragon had a purple appearance with a white underbelly. It was standing on its hind legs like a human. There were armored, black shoulder guards that went to the hands. Two long horns stretched from its head, appearing yellow-gold. The dragon had a loincloth on its lower body with metal accessories. The claws were a yellow color. The dragon's legs, inner tail and lower body were beige in color. From behind, a pair of wings appeared. They look to be similar to bat wings. The eyes was most intimidating. They had a piercing gaze that had a lavender sclera.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Pit said, frightened.
By then, the dragon began to breathe fire at everyone. This forced the group to find cover from the flames. Issei equipped his Sacred Hear in response.
{DRAGON BOOSTER!}
{BOOST!}
"Seems like this dragon doesn't appreciate intruders." Dark Pit said.
He then noticed the flames melting the rocks. They were turning to molten rock in front of him.
"Everyone! It's useless to hide behind the rocks! The dragon's flames can melt them! Rely on defense magic!" Dark Pit warned.
By then, Kuroka and Koneko dashed forward to attack.
"Kuroka! Koneko! Stay away from it!" Dark Pit yelled.
His warning was heard from deaf ears. The nekomata sisters attempted to punch the dragon, only to meet face first on its tail. The impact rocketed them on a nearby cliff. The force caused them to spit blood in response. This got Dark Pit angry.
"You damn lizard...! So you want to fight, we'll BRING IT ON!" Dark Pit yelled.
He summoned Raikiri in response. This got the dragon on edge, sensing the dragon slaying magic.
"So you finally decided to see me as an immediate threat. COME AND FACE ME!" Dark Pit taunted.
Dark Pit willed the Chaos Gear to appear.
{CHAOS GEAR!}
"Time to put you in your place, dragon…" Dark Pit said coldly.
He then dashed forward, causing the dragon to breathe fire at him. Dark Pit created a sphere of water and surrounded himself to extinguish the flames. This allowed Dark Pit to sense the familiar devil aura it was exuding.
"So you're a reincarnated devil as well. That makes it much easier to fight." He said.
{CHAOS BOOST!}
He then flew up in the air to cut the head. The dragon responded by using its horns to block Raikiri.
"Using its horns to block the lightning blade... Quite smart to think that way. But how will you fate with speed?" He said.
The dragon was caught off guard by Dark Pit's sudden speed. Before it realized, Dark Pit managed to stab it on its left arm. The dragon roared in pain.
"Look! Dark Pit's overwhelming the dragon!" Raynare said.
Akeno joined in the fight and hurled lightning bolts.
"Don't hog all the fun, Dark Pit-kun. I want to discipline this beast for its actions." She said.
"Do what you like." He simply stated.
"Let me join in the fray." Issei said.
He had the sword, Ascalon equipped. Dark Pit smiled in response.
"Let's take this beast down." The boys said.
Pit was about to go and help till Phosphora stopped him.
"Forget it, Pit. That dragon is too powerful. Leave it to them." She said.
"Phosphora's right, Pit. Let's leave this to Issei and Dark Pit." Palutena said.
By then, Gasper walked up. He also wanted to help.
"Issei-sempai, Pit-sempai... I also want to help as well!" He shouted.
Gasper used his Sacred Gear to slow down time on the dragon. This gave the boys a chance to use their powers. Rias was surprised on the sudden action.
"Nice thinking, Gasper! You'll be a strong man one day!" Rias said, smiling pride fully.
"Let's do this, Dark Pit!" Issei said.
He released the Boosted Gear's doubled power.
{EXPLOSION!}
"You made a mistake not paying attention to me, dragon!" Issei said.
{CHAOS EXPLOSION!}
The boys' auras mixed with blue and red. They compressed their power into a powerful magical orb. This got the dragon on edge.
"Ready when you are, Issei." Dark Pit said.
"I'm ready." Issei said.
The boys launched the orb at the dragon with a mighty thrust.
"Purple Heavenly Dragon Bomb!"
The orb collided with the dragon. A massive explosion encompassed where it stood. When the dust cleared, the dragon was barely standing. It had a circular injury on its chest.
"That's enough, everyone!" Azazel's voice called out.
Everyone turned to Azazel, who was at a nearby cliff. The dragon also stopped sending out its killing intent. Dark Pit was angered of the recent events. He then flew to Azazel.
"Care to explain what the recent attack all about was?" He said with a sadistic smirk.
Azazel began to sweat lightly, knowing that a simple fake answer would rile Dark Pit.
"Settle down, Dark Pit. For starters, this dragon happens to be a devil." Azazel revealed.
"I thought so. The moment Issei and I unsheathed our respective swords, it suddenly had its attention on us." Dark Pit said.
"So this dragon is also a devil?" Issei questioned.
The dragon in question looked at the boys, more specifically, their Sacred Gears. It spoke with a male voice.
"It has been a long time, Ddraig, Tiamat." the dragon said.
{Indeed it has. I'm surprised you didn't changed all this time.} Tiamat said.
{I could agree without a doubt. What a sight for sore eyes, Tannin.} Ddraig said.
"Tannin?" The boys questioned.
"What do you know about him?" Dark Pit asked to Tiamat and Ddraig.
{Tannin is known as the Blaze Meteor Dragon. He was one of the five dragon kings, but due to circumstances, he became a devil.} Tiamat said.
"Just as Tiamat said. It's no small feat for a dragon to become a devil." Azazel said.
"I can understand that. I guess the dragon kings have been associating with the Heavenly Dragons." Issei said.
"The reason he's here is to train you all." Azazel said.
"However, bear in mind that some of us are NOT Devils." Dark Pit stated.
"Not to worry, you guys will be trained by him to become strong. I understand that most of you are not within a peerage, but due to the threat of Khaos Brigade, we need to sharpen our skills." Azazel said.
Dark Pit sighed, recalling the event with Vali's betrayal.
"Very well. One can't be too careful." Dark Pit conceded.
"It was an order from Sirzechs for me to come here." Tannin revealed.
"Hey Tannin... Remind me to give Sirzechs a wallop when I see him. Obviously he took my threat too lightly." Dark Pit said, showing a blue aura.
Pit hid behind Palutena, remembering the draconic aura.
"He's scary when angry." Pit commented.
"For once, I agree." Palutena said, feeling a trickle of sweat.
Tannin looked at Dark Pit and Issei. He then had a smirk.
"I remember you and that boy. You two were able to kill one of the Phenex family's sons. I'll commend you both for your power, even injuring me. Worry about thrashing Sirzechs some other time." Tannin ordered.
"This surprise attack is also a test on how well you can handle them. It also allowed me to find some training regimens for you all." Azazel said.
"I don't know whether to praise you for this method or simply slap your head." Dark Pit commented.
Akeno giggled in response, seeing how Dark Pit found Azazel confusing.
"It's my role to make sure you guys stay strong. Remember, we're dealing with terrorists capable of immense power." Azazel said.
"Speaking of which... Tiamat, why did you take the chance to talk about him right now than in the battle?" Dark Pit questioned.
{Tannin was using less than one thousandth of his power. If he was truly serious, you would all be killed in less than a second, Comrade.} Tiamat said.
"I could vouch for that on Ddraig. However, knowing his personality, he would say the same." Issei said.
{I can still here, Partner.} Ddraig called out.
"No one's listening." Dark Pit retorted.
This made everyone chuckle from the interaction.
"In any case, we should wash ourselves. If we're meeting in a conference, we can't look dirty." Dark Pit said, shaking dirt off his arm.
"Not to worry. I have a natural hot spring which is near a bathhouse." Rias said.
######
Everyone traveled to hot spring. It was separated by two cliffs, both in different elevations. The top cliff was the female's bath. The lower cliff was for the male's bath. Both had equal amount of space.
"I never thought I would see a hot spring in the Underworld like this." Dark Pit said in amazement.
Behind him, Gasper was cowering, not liking the open space.
"Gasper... You don't have to feel afraid. We're all guys here." Dark Pit reassured.
"But I don't like the open space... Plus water is bad among vampires." Gasper whined.
Dark Pit sighed and placed a reassuring touch on his head.
"You're a dhampir, Gasper. The sun doesn't hurt you so you should be fine if you take a dip in the water. If you want to become a man, you have to endure your worst fears and become strong." Dark Pit said.
Gasper recalled how Dark Pit was training him with his Sacred Gear. It then made him calm down.
"I'll try and do my best, Dark Pit-sempai." Gasper declared.
"Make your sempai proud, Gasper. In case anyone tries to hurt you, Issei and I will be there to protect you." Dark Pit stated with a smile.
At the female's section, the girls noticed Dark Pit's interaction with Gasper and smiled.
"Dark Pit-kun, try to make him like a man so he becomes strong like you." Akeno called out.
'Why am I being commented that sounds like a misunderstanding?' Dark Pit thought.
"I'm trying to make sure Gasper overcomes his fears. I can't let him feel left out because of that." Dark Pit called out.
"Well, be sure to help him little by little. Rias wants him to be strong." Akeno said.
Dark Pit sighed in response. By then, Issei showed up and noticed Dark Pit sighing.
"Did I miss something?" Issei questioned.
"Just the girls commenting about my interaction with Gasper. It's not a problem." Dark Pit said.
"Well then, let's enjoy the hot spring while we're here. The training will strain ourselves so we need to keep ourselves fit." Issei said.
"I agree. Let's just enjoy the relaxing for now." Dark Pit said.
Azazel was in the spring as well. He felt comfortable in the water.
"If there was some sake, it'd be even more awesome." hH said comically.
"No need to start drinking in the bath. You could pass out." A voice called out.
"Geezus, Pit. You have to suddenly make yourself known here?" Dark Pit questioned with irritation.
"Sorry, but I love hot springs!" Pit said childishly.
'How did I end up being created as mirror copy of this...fickle angel?' Dark Pit thought.
Azazel noticed some cuts on Dark Pit's body. This made him speak to the dark angel.
"Hey Dark Pit, I'm sure you haven't noticed but there are several cuts on you. I suggest putting some ointment." Azazel said.
This made Pit laugh in response, along with Dark Pit.
"I guess you didn't realize it yet. Hot springs have the ability to heal us. We're not the same kind of angels that are under command from Michael." Dark Pit said.
Dark Pit sat down in the water. Immediately, his wounds began to make a hissing noise. They began closing up in rapid speed. This surprised Issei, Gasper and Azazel.
"Well, you certainly have a lot of surprises." Azazel muttered.
"More so than you think." Dark Pit replied.
"Also, did you had your fun time with Raynare?" Azazel asked.
Immediately, Dark Pit blushed bright red. Steam visibly hissed out of his head like a train whistle.
"W-why are you asking such a question like that!?" Dark Pit shouted with embarrassment.
"I noticed that Raynare looked more happy than usual. I had a feeling that you two already had intercourse." Azazel said.
From the female side, the girls heard Dark Pit's shout and went to look down. They heard a train whistling sound coming from Dark Pit. Unknown to the all the females, Raynare and Kuroka were blushing, knowing why Dark Pit shouted.
'Azazel-sama had to ask something to him... Why now of all times?' Raynare thought.
'I can normally tolerate the sexual stuff, but talking about it openly can embarrass me, nya.' Kuroka thought.
Back in the male's side, Azazel already deduced the answer from Dark Pit's reaction.
"Looks like I was right. You two finally became one. Tell me, was she nice?" Azazel asked.
"Give me a break already, Azazel... I'm already feeling light headed after being asked such a question." Dark Pit said, wobbling in the water.
"Whoa there... Looks like I made him faint from hyperthermia. Issei, mind if you carry him back to his room so he can recover?" Azazel said.
"Alright... Somehow you act more like a teasing father for Dark Pit." Issei said.
"Hahahahaha... Well, I can't have one of my own kind feel so down." Azazel said.
Kiba and Gasper watched as Issei held on to Dark Pit's unconscious body.
"Dark Pit-sempai probably had a tough time to answer. What did Azazel meant by 'intercourse'?" Gasper asked to Kiba.
Kiba was nervous and couldn't reply. He decided to say a parental answer.
"I'll explain it to you when you get more mature…" Kiba answered.
This satisfied Gasper for the moment. By then Kiba recalled the battle with Tannin.
"Gasper, didn't you noticed how Koneko and Kuroka were moving first before Akeno ordered us? Koneko was acting strangely prior to coming here. I understand her elder sister was trying to protect her, but it has gotten me worried." He said.
"What about it?" Gasper said, tilting his head in confusion.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking too hard." Kiba said.
In the female's side, the girls were talking with each other. Xenovia was merely swimming in the hot spring for training purposes.
"Ne Asia. How's your relationship with Issei?" Palutena asked.
"Eh!? Well, we've just started to kiss..." Asia said meekly.
"Awe... How cute and innocent." Palutena beamed.
"What about you Irina?" Palutena asked.
"I've been getting along with Issei for some time. We didn't go too far since he wanted some time for us to understand each other. Plus, I haven't seen him in a while." She said.
"Childhood romance. How cute." Viridi said.
"Well now, Rias has some competition. Isn't that right?" Akeno said to her.
"I don't give up that easily." Rias said with determination.
Koneko remained silent during the conversation. She was thinking on what to say to Issei.
'Issei-sempai... I wonder if it's okay for me to be with you.' She thought.
"Still, I wondered what made Dark Pit shout out like that." Rias asked.
"I-I don't know." Raynare answered with a stutter.
"Hmm? It looks like you're hiding something Raynare... Tell us, how far did you two go?" Viridi asked.
Immediately, Raynare shuffled her legs and was blushing red. She was looking down in the water, unable to answer.
"Don't tell me... You two finally did 'that'?" Viridi said with uncertain shock.
Immediately, Raynare dived underwater to hide from the answer. The girls were all surprised as they deduced what Viridi said.
"So Raynare and Dark Pit became one... I'll admit, I never thought that the dark angel would find romance." Palutena said with a minor blush.
"Speaking of romance, have you and Pit showed feelings for each other?" Viridi teased.
"Me!? I only show a professional relationship as a commander. Not a lover." Palutena said, hiding her blush.
"Oh? The goddess of light has feelings for Pit? That can risk your duties." Viridi teased.
Palutena created a flash of light on Viridi's sight. This made her blind and couldn't see where she was going.
"Hey, why did you blind my eyes?" Viridi complained.
"Young kids shouldn't talks so openly about private matters." Palutena said.
"I'm not a kid!" Viridi shouted.
The girls laughed on the interaction. They noticed Kuroka was looking down.
"Hey Kuroka, you also had feeling for Dark Pit as well right? You two also confessed?" Rias questioned.
"Y-yes. I had a talk with Raynare regarding about how we feel for Dark Pit. Ironically enough, he accepted our feelings." The nekomata said.
"Oh? Does that mean you two had 'that' time?" Rias asked.
"Y-yes." Kuroka said, looking down.
"Ooooh la la. Someone has a harem. Ufufu…" Akeno said.
######
In a bedroom, Dark Pit was semi-conscious. He was red-faced and was trying to hold off his embarrassment.
"Someone kill me please..." He said.
Anyone seeing Dark Pit's embarrassment would feel sorry for him.
######
In an unknown location, Bikou was sitting on the ground. He appeared to be meditating.
"Bikou. The plan is about to commence." Vali's voice called out.
"Coming, White Dragon emperor." Bikou said.
He then stood up and stretched his body. Several cracks from stiff joints were heard.
"Time to start the plan." He said.
That's all from here.
This chapter is the start of the third novel. More to come as the events unfold.
Note: Kuroka is not part of the Khaos Brigade. It's fairly obvious since the early chapters.
For the reviewer on chapter 10, it was not intended to be a pun.