Flashback

Doragonzu speaking

(Ddraig speaking)

[Albion speaking]

Author note

Chapter 14 - Preparation

Ryūno's residence, 4:32 AM GST

Ryūno started waking up from his unusually long nap, he was able to get better rest due to Kuroka's sage arts. Ryūno considered it a nice courtship, though he didn't exactly understand why she didn't use a bed.

"Mhh..." Ryūno mumbled, opening his eyes slowly. His body felt heavier than usual, but he didn't know why. Ryūno proceeded to look around, to see Kuroka sleeping on his shoulder soundly.

"Didn't expect to see you here..." Ryūno whispered, not wanting to wake Kuroka up.

'I should probably go get ready for school, good thing it's Friday. I'll finally be able to get some decent rest afterward...' Ryūno thought to himself whilst pushing Kuroka gently off him. Luckily, it doesn't look like he woke her up. It's shocking how she stayed asleep, most cats took naps, and woke up at the slightest touch or sound...okay, that was a bit of a stereotype, but still. Ryūno proceeded to stand up from the couch, however, before he could get to his bedroom, he felt a hand grab his wrist.

"Heyyy, where are you going, nya..?" Kuroka said. Ryūno could tell she sounded tired as she yawned.

"Go back to sleep, Kuroka, you clearly need it. As for me, I'm going upstairs to my bedroom to get ready for school."

"So you're leaving me here all alone, nya?" Kuroka said sadly, her cat ears went down as well.

"If you're scared of the dark, you can sleep in my room whilst I dress up." Ryūno replied.

"Eh? I'm not scared of the dark! But, seeing you dress up, I wouldn't mind~." Kuroka cooed.

Ryūno just looked forward with no expression, he wasn't going to lose to lust, pride had won him over already. Though he didn't know which sin was deadlier...

"I'm going up, follow me." Ryūno said. Kuroka got up.

"And straighten up your Kimono, will you?" Ryūno said looking at her body, her upper half was exposed.

"You don't like it, nya~?"

"You look ridiculous." Ryūno said, looking directly in her eyes.

"What?! I-" Ryūno interrupted her.

"If you're gonna walk around half-naked in my house, then you'd might as well just take everything off. I don't mind. It'll be far better than walking around looking like you don't know how to dress." Ryūno said as he shrugged.

"My, how naughty~, you have no shame whatsoever, nya."

"It's more so for your pleasure than mine, but think what you want." Ryūno said as he went up the stairs, Kuroka soon followed after. Ryūno went inside his bedroom with Kuroka. He went up to his closet to put on his uniform. Kuroka went towards his bed, and took her Kimono off, proceeding to lay on it.

"Ahh, you were right, this is much better, nya." Ryūno looked back at her.

"Comfortable?"

"I'd be more comfortable with you here." Ryūno just looked back at her.

"I have to get to school in less than 3 hours, and no offense, but I don't wanna smell like sweat and sex during my time in school, I get enough unwanted attention for my looks alone." It's his own fault for dying his hair and wearing leather clothes...

"But you could shower, or maybe we could do it in the shower~."

"Alright, fine then, I can't distract myself with physical pleasure, not yet, anyway. After I visit my caretaker, I'm going to Chasorealm to train." Ryūno explained.

"W-wait, Chaosrealm? Ryūno, that's-"

"Dangerous? Stupid? I know, but I've already been training there for two years. It's far more optimal than training in the human realm. Plus it's not like I'm going to the deep pits...even I'm not crazy enough to go to Araajakata." Arajaakata were the deep pits of the realm, where the atmosphere was scorching hot and cold at the same time, winds could reach unbelievable speeds, on top of the toxic air...it was nowhere near a pleasurable place to find yourself in. No being made of flesh and bone could survive there.

However, while Kuroka didn't want to admit it, he had a point. The only place he could train here in the wilderness, though that's not enough to upkeep his form and skills.

"Alright, I understand."

"And with that, I bring you into the equation." Kuroka rose a brow.

"Basically, after my training session, I'm going to come back injured, badly. I'm going to need your healing arts to recover quicker." He told her bluntly. Though Kuroka was uncertain, she could stomach injuries, she herself has killed many, but would

"I...can do that. But, why can't you recover by yourself?"

"I don't know any good healing arts or spells. Which is one of the reasons I agreed to you being my mate, a trade-off, you could say."

"But...now you've grown attached to me, right?" Kuroka asked, worried if he was just using her.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I have. But, I don't trust you fully, not yet." Ryūno admitted.

"What? Why not?" Kuroka asked.

"Well, you're a nekomata, your species is known to be deceiving, no offense, again. And, you're part of The Khaos Brigade, for all I know, you could be a spy, playing me."

"...You really don't think that, do you..?" Kuroka asked sadly, she understood his logic, but couldn't help to feel hurt by his words. Ryūno sighed.

"Kuroka, I've had my fair share of assholes in my life, you can't blame me for being cautious, especially since you're part of the supernatural."

"...Alright, but for those harsh words, you owe me, nya." Kuroka went back to her lighter mood.

"What?" Ryūno asked.

"A lot of kittens, nya~."

…

Not like he was gonna refuse to give you that anyway.

"Alright, but I can't promise that I'll be a good father, or husband, for that matter." Ryūno said honestly.

"You've been great so far, nya."

"To you. Being a father is a whole different territory than being a simple mate, it's a heavy responsibility that I myself am probably not ready to handle yet." If he could barely keep himself composed at times, what's he gonna do with a child?

"Nya, that's fine, I can wait. After all, our lives are nearly eternal."

"True, I'll stop my aging process when I'm around 20 years old." That's when his dragon felt unnerved hearing those words, why?

"Wait, so you haven't fully transformed into a dragon, nya?"

"I technically can't transform into a FULL dragon, that would require me to stay in the spectral form forever, which would be hell. Besides, I didn't wanna end up looking too young now, did I? And, that can wait. As well as...a couple of more things." Ryūno said as Kuroka laid back down on the bed.

"Nyahhh, I guess it can't be helped. Don't be gone for too long, kay?"

"I don't control the time table, I'm going to school, you know when I'll be back." Ryūno replied.

"But you're going to leave me here all alone for hours, how cold of you Ryūno..." Kuroka faked sadness.

"Yes, I'm very evil, the pinnacle of emotional destruction." Ryūno replied sarcastically.

"Uh...partner? That's what you actually were, and are still to this day."

"In more than one way." Ryūno added.

"Well, I'll be off, if you need anything fridge is stocked...this time. And I've got a lot of books you can read as well, oh...and if you get bored easily, you can watch TV or use my personal computer if you'd like. Sound good?" Ryūno asked.

"Mmmm, sure, nya." Kuroka said as she put the blanket over herself.

"By the way..."

...

"Please don't make me have to wash my sheets after you fuel your filthy little fantasies, thanks." Ryūno said while closing his eyes, and getting out of the room. Kuroka blushed at that, embarrassed, she was one to tease, but being teased back, by a boy and someone younger than her nonetheless, it was surprising.

"YOU!-"

Ryūno closed the door.

"Good grief, she's gonna be the end of me faster than Great Red is."

"Considering Gread Red doesn't fight much, I could agree."

Ryūno went downstairs to grab a quick snack, he took an apple in his hand and went out the door.

"Why are you going out so early, partner?"

"To get some peace and quiet? Why else would I be out at this time? Actually, don't answer that."

"You could've stayed with Kuroka. Now she's sleeping all alone." Doragonzu slightly scolded.

"Don't try to guilt-trip me. You know there's no point for me to go back to bed if I'm not gonna fall asleep."

"Could've kept her company."

"Coulda, shoulda, woulda. She'll be fine by herself, she has been for years now."

"Fair point. Still, show her some affection, you're kind of being a jerk right now, necessarily this time, too."

"That something new to you?"

"..."

"Exactly. Look, It's five AM, I'll be back at around six, I'll get her something to eat, then be on my way to school."

"Are you gonna ask the Sitri devil if you can watch the rating game with her?"

"I'm gonna try and ask her to give me a separate channel to watch the rating game. I don't wanna leave Kuroka alone in the house for too long."

"Why's that?"

"I have my reasons. In any case, she'll likely give me it, excluding my behavior towards other students, we get along well. I'll enjoy watching the game."

"Why? Because you'll be able to see Gremory fail?"

"So that I'll be able to see what The Red Dragon Emperor is capable of in his current state. I'll know what his strengths, weaknesses are, what needs to be worked on, and so on. This could prove very useful to me in the future." Ryūno said as he finished eating his apple.

"Understood, partner."

"Are you at all curious about what Ddraig is capable of?"

"Hmph, you're acting as if we've never fought before. DDraig, at his full power, just like me, is beyond a worthy opponent. His ability to boost could potentially surpass our ability to steal, regardless, do not underestimate him for any reason." Doragonzu warned.

"What of The Vanishing Dragon, Albion?"

"His ability to divide power is fearsome, but here's where his weakness comes in..."

"I'm listening."

"Let's say we have a battle, and he decides to divide our power in half, we could steal back his power, and thus, make him weaker, increasing our total stamina, whilst he only gains power temporarily. He'll keep dividing and dividing, whilst we continue to rob him of his power, thus in a drawn-out battle, ultimately, we'll defeat him."

"I see. I look forward to facing them both. This...Vali, is an interesting candidate, it's a shame that I cannot say the same for Hyoudou."

"He'll get stronger...eventually."

"Let's hope so. Oh, I gotta go get Kuroka something to eat."

Ryūno was seen entering his house carrying a small bag, he set the bag on his coffee table near the couch.

"Looks like she's still asleep. Maybe I should make a note." As Ryūno said that, he grabbed some sticky green notes and wrote on one of them.

He wrote: 'Hey, I made this because I didn't want to wake you up, I brought you some food, I got sushi and some other takeout, cause I can't cook well and didn't know what you liked (I assumed you had a big appetite like your sister) I hope it's acceptable. I'll be back home soon to watch the rating game. We can watch it together if you want.' It was chicken scratch at best, but at least it was something.

Then at the bottom right corner, he wrote-

(PS. Sorry for the bad handwriting.) - Ryūno

He put the pen and the note down.

"Awww, how sweet. I'm almost shedding a fake tear."

"Fuck. You. Too."

"I'm kidding, but...Goodness, how'd you ever pass middle school if your writing looks like that?"

"It's readable, not pretty, but readable." Ryūno said as he stuck the note to the little bag, and went upstairs to his room, to find Kuroka sleeping soundly. He put the food one the drawer near the bed and opened the window for ventilation.

"Alright, now that that's done. I gotta get to school..."

Scene change, Kuoh Academy, 7:45 AM GST

"Alright, once again, I'm paying a visit to the student council..." Ryūno said as he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Ryūno did so. Sona and Tsubaki were both seen there.

"Oh, hello. How may we help you?" Tsubaki asked him.

"Forgive me for the intrusion, but if memory serves, Rias' rating game will be today, correct?"

Sona fixed up her glasses before answering.

"That's right."

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to get a channel to watch it at home." Sona rose a brow at that.

"Oh? Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" Sona asked.

"Mainly because I wanna study and analyze Hyoudou's fighting style, nothing more." Sona understood his logic, he was making Issei his rival, after all. A natural thing for a dragon to do. Perhaps other people if it came down to it. A dragon isn't going to just fight one person for the rest of their lives.

"Very well, but, we're gonna need something from you in return."

"As long as it's not too crazy, I'm all ears." Sona grew a slight smile, whilst her Queen looked at her curiously.

"I'd like to study your sacred gear." Ryūno narrowed his eyes.

"Study...how?" Ryūno asked.

"Do not worry, it won't bring any harm or discomfort to you, just like how you wanna analyze Issei Hyoudou, we'd like to analyze you as well. It could prove to be useful knowledge in the future."

"Hmph, fine then. I accept." Though if he could help it, he'd like to avoid that...

"Great, here's a flash drive that should be able to show you the rating game, just insert it into your computer, and you should have all the camera views of it. You can also have this..." His sacred gear flashed orange, indicating something has been transferred.

"Or you can watch on a magic circle, if you're capable of summoning one, of course. Though I'd still recommend watching on a T.V or like I said, on a computer."

"Thank you, though, before I leave, how do I know this isn't some virus or hacking software, maybe a tracking device?"

Sona chuckled at that.

"You're clever for asking that, but I assure you, as long as you do not have any ill intentions towards me, I will have none towards you. Hey, if it does turn out to be some hacking software, then you have my full permission to destroy this school, and my peerage." Tsubaki flinched at that, Ryūno was a bit surprised, but went along.

"Alright then, I'll take your word for it. Have a good day, Tsubaki, Sitri."

"You too." They both waved as he went out and closed the door.

"That's another thing off of my list. Now to sit through these boring lessons…"

With school over, Ryūno made his way back to his home to meet Kuroka.

'Sona said the game will start at around 6 PM, so we have some time to prepare.'

'To prepare...what?'

'Snacks, comfort, and my eyes for the horror I'll see.'

'Ah, of course, you'll have to watch the foolish host of The Red Dragon Emperor. Though I expect good things from the rest of his team.'

'I doubt it, though I hope I'm wrong.' Ryūno said as he continued to make his way home. Eventually, he found himself near the entrance again. Ryūno went inside.

"Alright, two hours before the game starts, gotta get some food, and a blanket, and...well, I'll think of something later." Ryūno said to himself.

"Hey, nya~." A voice rang from behind. Seems like Kuroka's teleportation skills weren't too shabby, much like his own.

"Hey, Kuroka, did you enjoy your meal?"

"I did, I also found the note super cute. Though, you forgot the heart in the end, nya." She said with a cheery tone.

"Did you seriously think I was going to put one? I'm someone who can barely write, let alone draw."

"With you saying that, there are two things I have to teach you now..." She prepared to lay it on him.

"What?"

"One: Cooking. Two: Proper Handwriting, but that can wait. You said you wanted to watch a rating game with me, nya?"

"Yeah, though you don't have to if you don't want to. Your sister is gonna be participating, after all. She's gonna get hurt, badly, so I don't blame you."

"It's fine, nya, I'd like to see what my Shirone is now capable of."

"Great, but first..."

"What is it, nya?"

"Kuroka, you don't happen to have an ID, do you?"

Scene Change, Kuoh mall, 5:12 PM GST

"What a shame..." Ryūno said, closing his eyes whilst carrying a bag of groceries. It only made sense that a devil didn't

"Why the heck did you think I'd have an ID, nya?" Kuroka looked at him.

"Good question. Though I am a bit disappointed, we're gonna have to go back to that skyscraper, it's the only place I know where I can get actual sake." Yeah, yeah, someone as young as him shouldn't drink. But, hey, breaking rules was a part of his delinquent demeanor. Plus...you never know, he might not get another chance, not with the way he lives.

"Oh, the place we went on our date?"

"Yeah, that. Or...actually, maybe I'll just get a soft beverage, I don't like drinking soda much...it's like candy, just plain disgusting. Maybe just water will do..." Kuroka could've used her memory altering powers to get him a drink, but Ryūno told her not to bother and said he'd be fine either way.

"Do that, by the way, why are you so excited about the rating game?"

"Because I'll be able to analyze The Red Dragon Emperor, I need to know everything he's capable of."

"Nya, I understand." With that, they quickly made their way back to the house. Inside, Ryūno was sitting down on the couch, waiting for the rating game to start. Soon enough, the broadcast had started.

It was time to see what Hyoudou was capable of.

"Let the games...begin."

To be continued...

A/N - Apologies for not uploading as much, I'm lazy when it comes to this site. Although, can you blame me? The UI is ass (I'll give it a break since it's rather old.) But I'll try to keep uploading, even if it kills me re-reading my old...poorly written chapters. Good thing I've taken a better direction now in terms of writing.