Good Evening All!
I must admit, I got a bit frustrated with a reviewer and left them a response which in retrospect was likely a waste of time. Anytime someone addresses me with "F- You!" though I tend to get a bit annoyed. So if you see it, feel free to ignore them both.
However, would like to give a shoutout to reviewer "HeWhoShouldn'tBeNamed" for immediately reminding me of why I keep doing this. They left a well thought out, positive review directly following that unpleasantness that got me all fired up to pump out a chapter much earlier than usual. As I've said before many times, good reviews are the fuel by which we free writers subsist ourselves off of; negative reviews or "Update now" reviews tend to kill any emotion I have to take time out of my weekend to write. While I put the spotlight on one reviewer this week because of their impeccable timing, know that I appreciate all of you that leave good reviews very much; I always read them and often times will try to send a private message if it has something interesting or insightful I can comment on.
Hope everyone's weekend is going well thus far; as always please do enjoy yourself.
Sasuke loosened his black tie with a ferocious scowl as he sipped the overpriced water, much to the amusement of the red head seated across from him.
"Had I known that your tie would distract your attention from me all evening, I would have asked you to wear something less formal."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he pointedly looked at all the overdressed patrons seated around them, causing Rias to roll her eyes.
"Yes, I am aware of how the other guests are attired; it is one of the premier dinner clubs in town after all. However, the owners of the establishment are allowed to wear whatever it is they wish; it's considered eccentric and vogue."
Sasuke gave a put upon sigh.
"Yet another human establishment that your family owns through proxy; just how many major human corporations are ultimately controlled by devils?"
Rias chuckled.
"Most."
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke finished his superbly cooked steak quickly and wiped his mouth before turning back to Rias as she picked at her food.
"So, what is on your mind? I was surprised that you moved our weekly date up by a few days this week; I assume there is a reason for it."
Rias gave him a sultry smile.
"Perhaps I just enjoy being capricious? We women are like that you know."
Sasuke snorted and gave her a pointed look.
"Alright, fine. I wanted to discuss a few things in private without all the other members of the occult club present."
Sasuke raised both eyebrows; it was rare for Rias to not say something in front of her adopted family; this should be good.
"Very well Rias, what's on your mind?"
Rias took a sip of champagne and continued to play with her food while Sasuke patiently waited for her to speak.
"I suppose you could say...its a few things really."
Sasuke gave her a dry look.
Rias pointedly ignored it.
"I suppose you have noticed what is going on between Issei and Akeno?"
Sasuke leaned back in his chair.
"Which part, the subtle flirting from Akeno or the brazen ogling that Issei bestows upon every female with a large chest?"
Rias giggled briefly before turning serious once more.
"I suspect it may be more serious than I initially surmised, though it may be a while before the two idiots figure it out themselves. Both of them act shamelessly to draw attention away from their true feelings and vulnerabilities."
Sasuke leaned closer.
"You mean that Akeno's interest in sadism is mostly an act?"
Rias shook her head negatively.
"No, that is not an act from what I have observed over the years, though I believe it is a defense mechanism of sorts. By shamelessly flirting and overplaying her proclivities, she hides what is actually a vulnerable heart; she has never been the same since her mother died years ago."
Sasuke took a minute to drink the overpriced water as he processed what Rias had said. It surprised him, but then he had never truly gotten to know Akeno very well.
"And Issei, what are your thoughts?"
Rias tittered.
"The boy is shameless at the best of times, but I strongly suspect that the perversity is from a lack of experience more than anything. He puts women, and by proxy their bodies, on a very high pedestal that makes him vulnerable to their manipulations."
Sasuke grimaced.
"Of that much I am aware; I know that your initial recruiting plan was along those lines as well."
There was a brief, slightly awkward silence as Rias studied the details of her plate determinedly.
"What's done is done though; I think it's fair to say that amends have been paid on that front. Why bring this up now though, and to me?"
Rias smiled innocently.
"Well you are the resident matchmaker Sasuke; after all, without your efforts young love would never have blossomed between Asia and Kiba!"
Sasuke grumbled under his breath.
"In all seriousness though, it seems fitting given that our two peerages will likely be joined together soon that they have stronger ties."
Sasuke frowned.
"You're not wrong. Are you planning to accelerate the process or let things develop as they are?"
Rias snorted loudly.
"If I let things stay as they are, both of them would be old and grey before they actually stopped flirting and got in a real relationship. For now I will continue to observe and make sure of their compatibility before nudging them along, but I have no doubt it will eventually be necessary."
Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"Very well, but let me know before you make plans to intervene. As Issei's informal sensei, it is my duty to look after his interests, even in such matters as this."
Rias nodded.
"Agreed; now, on to the main matter at hand. House Gremory would like to formally invite you to visit the Gremory Estate."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as Rias handed him an invitation stamped on a thin sheet of pure gold, with precious gems interspersed throughout.
"Why all the pomp and circumstance; your father once invited me to the estate informally and it seemed no large affair."
Rias kept her face carefully neutral.
"I'm certain that when my father extended the invitation, circumstances were different. He took an immediate liking to you, and no doubt wanted to get to know you better. Now though, you are widely recognized by the devil nation as a powerful Pillar Lord; possibly the most powerful Lord alive currently."
Sasuke nodded in understanding.
"I see; so now that I am a truly viable prospect for House Gremory, they wish to move in as swiftly as possible."
Rias gave him a small smile.
"I trust you Sasuke, so I will tell you more than my parents would like. To be honest, they are desperate to lock you down with a wedding date as soon as possible."
Sasuke gave her a small look of confusion.
"Why the sudden rush? Is it because of my increase in status among the devil nation?"
Rias paused as a shadowed look came over her face.
"Let us just say that my house has been out of favor for a while now; why do you think that the best prospect my parent's could come up with was the third son of what is practically a merchant house?"
Sasuke rubbed his chin in thought; that was a good point he hadn't considered before. Unsurprising though really; he had always despised clan politics with a passion.
"Fair enough; why though are they so eager to lock me down in particular?"
Rias laughed out loud, causing several of the stogy patrons to glare at them before returning to their fancy meals.
"That's one thing I will always love about you Sasuke; for all your wisdom, charisma and battle experience you have no clue as to your own potential worth at times."
Sasuke looked unimpressed as Rias continued.
"A new Pillar Lord is exceedingly rare; many of the old family's lines have died out millennia ago. A human Pillar Lord has never occurred in our entire history, much less one that is strong enough to defeat the Albion Dragon and his Grandfather. You are a juicy steak that has been thrown in front of a pack of starving wolves, and it's amazing to me that you haven't been flooded with proposals from the other houses as of yet."
Rias suddenly looked uncertain as she shifted in place, obviously grappling with something internally. As always, Sasuke waited patiently as she formulated what it was she wanted to say.
"When we first hatched our hairbrained scheme to get engaged, it was part of a desperate ploy to save me from what would have been a disastrous marriage to Riser. After that, we continued because it made sense for me to have a safe marriage with someone I could reasonably trust who could be a business partner of sorts. It would be wrong of me though to hold you to such an arrangement now, when you have so many other options available. If you would like, we can continue as friends and allies and forget the marriage proposal ever happened."
Sasuke looked to Rias in surprise as she looked at him in turn neutrally, her stoic face firmly in place. Sasuke took a minute to consider the generous offer as he sipped his water, an increasingly anxious Rias watching him.
"I appreciate your offer Rias; it is more generous than many would make in your position. Far too many would attempt some form of leverage now that I hold a fairly esteemed place in devil society. I will have to decline though."
Rias looked panicked for a split second before she fully processed his words.
"Then..."
Sasuke gave her a smoldering look from underneath his eyebrows.
"I'm afraid, milady, you will not be rid of me so easily."
Rias gave him a smile that warmed the heart of everyone present.
Sasuke cleared his throat after a minute or so.
"Inform House Gremory that Lord Andromalius accepts their gracious offer, and will attend them in their mansion in one week's time."
Sasuke finished his last set of vertical pushups, barely breaking a sweat as he tackled the obstacle course once more. Finishing the course, Sasuke took a second to collect himself as he heard the continued booming coming from the far edge of the training ground. Frowning, Sasuke went to go check on the combatants; Vali had been especially foul tempered of late and it wouldn't do for him to injure someone while Asia was not on site. Sasuke's frown grew as he approached the two combatants, one of them on the ground as the other was kicking his downed opponent repeatedly.
Sasuke blurred to Vali as he reared back to kick Issei once again, punching him squarely in the face with enough force to level a nearby obstacle wall.
"Enough!"
Vali spat blood on the ground and grinned at Sasuke as he bent down to check Issei's pulse.
"About time you got here King; this weakling still won't fight me as he should. I was just giving him some motivation to bring Ddraig out so we could have a real fight."
"Vali, take Issei to Asia at once and stay with him until he is healed. We will talk about this later."
Vali spit on the ground in disgust but moved to obey, the contract obviously forcing him to do so.
Sasuke shook his head as a sullen but obedient Vali flew off in search of Asia. He would need to get a handle on his wild Queen before he was forced to eliminate his own strongest piece; and that would be sheer waste given Vali's potential. If he wanted him dead, it would have been a simple enough matter in their battle months ago.
It was obvious that Vali's often moody behavior was made far worse by his Grandfather utterly defeating and humiliating him. To make matters even more complicated, Sasuke had then been forced to kill the scum, taking away one of Vali's greatest goals which was to personally eliminate his murderous grandfather. If only he knew more about Vali, what drove him besides his lust for battle.
Perhaps...
Sasuke pulled out a burner phone and called a number he had memorized some weeks ago. It rang only twice before it was picked up.
"Sasuke-san, what a pleasant surprise!"
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched; how the Grigori leader always knew it was him calling from a burner phone was a never-ending mystery.
"Azazel, I need to call in a favor."
Later that evening, Sasuke took a deep breath before he unceremoniously kicked in Vali's door.
A scowling Vali suddenly cheered up at Sasuke's stormy demeanor.
"It's about damn time King; all this waiting around hospitals and baby sitting weak losers is driving me out of my mind. Let's kill each other!"
Sasuke smirked.
"Not this time Vali; Follow me."
Slightly sullen yet intrigued, Vali silently followed Sasuke back to the training fields they had left earlier that afternoon.
"Well King, don't keep me waiting! What's this surp-"
Suddenly, Vali ducked as a dark blade with blazing red runes slashed through the space where his head had just occupied. Vali gave a ferocious grin as he armored himself up and began eagerly returning shots with the black cloaked figure.
"Divide!Divide!Divide!"
Each of Vali's attempt to steal power was denied as the black sword was always there, skillfully blocking each of Vali's attempts as the Albion wielder's smile only grew.
"Yes, YES! This is what I needed!"
Vali roared as he smashed a gauntleted fist into the black sword, creating a deafening boom as the massive sword and its wielder refused to move an inch.
"TOBIO! FINALLY YOU CAME TO VISIT ME!"
The dark clad figure threw back his hood, leaving a grinning young man with dark hair before he blurred to match Vali's strike yet again.
Sasuke sauntered over to his throne, in no particular hurry to escape the chaos as the two powerful warriors fought ferociously.
Minutes passed as the two powerful figures clashed, neither giving quarter as Tobio skillfully blocked each of Vali's attempts to steal his power. Sasuke lounged on his throne as per usual, casually watching the death battle as if it were a tennis match.
Panting, the two figures grinned at each other and gave a mutual nod of respect.
"I hope you're ready Tobio, I'm ending it right here."
Vali pounded the ground so powerfully that a dust cloud rose up, hiding him from view.
"Balance Breaker: Albion!"
Vali appeared in his flawless silver armor even as his opponent began shouting as well.
"Balance Breaker: Dark Demon Beast of the Abyss!"
Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily as the youth was replaced by a huge, powerful beast of darkness in Canine form. A larger version of the black sword hung from its mouth, fiery runes still blazing along its length.
Sasuke slammed the emergency containment button as the two began exchanging blows, the very earth shaking for miles as the landscape was changed around them. A red barrier sprang up around the length of the field as Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief; he usually only needed the barrier for when he and Vali got serious.
As Sasuke watched, it became clear that the two had fought many times in the past. The white and dark blurs clashed hundreds of times, almost faster than the eye could follow as they fought on instinct. Finally, the fight came to a close as the dog held the sword to Vali's throat, even as Vali held an energy spear over the giant demon dog's heart.
The two combatants released their techniques as both began laughing, embracing as though they were long lost brothers.
"Vali! You lazy clanker, I heard that you had gone and gotten yourself indentured to some Lord; never would have guessed it was the new Pillar Lord everyone's talking about!"
Vali smirked.
"I know you will always be content to lick Azazel's boots clean Tobio; the rest of us want more from life."
Sasuke waited patiently and observed as the two young men talked excitedly, exchanging stories and laughing at each other's various stories as they caught up on what had happened during their time apart.
Finally, Vali seemed to remember that Sasuke was still present.
"Hey King! Come over here off your high chair so I can introduce my brother Tobio!"
Tobio gave Vali an exasperated look as he made his way over to Sasuke.
"Lord Andromalius, please forgive my younger brother's atrocious manners; he's always been a bit sick in the head."
Sasuke nodded gravely.
"I have noticed the same; perhaps he was dropped on his head frequently as a baby."
Vali made sputtering sounds as Tobio and Sasuke had a quiet chuckle at his expense.
As the laughter died down, Tobio adopted a more rigid and formal posture and bowed from the waist to Sasuke.
"Tobio Ikuse, reporting for duty as ordered my Lord. How best can I assist you?"
Vali looked confused as he joined Tobio.
"What's this about Tobio, are you here on assignment for the old man? I can't imagine you came all this way just to fight me."
Tobio cracked Vali a quick grin before once more solemnly facing Sasuke.
Sasuke shifted in place.
"Vali is in need of a proper outlet. I requested Azazel send someone to me that he could relate to; I see that he found someone to perfectly fit the bill. How long do we have until Azazel needs you back?"
"That is up to you my lord; Azazel-sama has instructed me to stay and assist however possible until I receive new orders."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow; Rias had not been mistaken regarding his rise in prestige. It was apparent that not just the devils wanted to get into his good graces.
"Excellent, I will leave the two of you to it then."
Tobio bowed.
"Of course, my lord."
Vali rolled his eyes.
"Come on Tobio, let me show you the paintball guns back at my place, we can go hunt down some Yakuza members later."
Seeing Sasuke nod in acceptance, Tobio followed Vali and promptly left the training grounds to go assist in possible mayhem and destruction.
Sasuke surveyed the dark training grounds as he left for the night, leaving nothing but shadows in his wake.
Not a whole lot of notes down here this week, most of the chapter was self-explanatory. No, Tobio is not Vali's actual brother, they are just very close friends ("battle brothers" if you will). I will link the info for Tobio Ikuse though just in case anyone is curious; definitely a pretty cool character with a wicked sacred gear. It amazes me that I haven't seen him in any other fics, but I guess with the hundreds of minor cast members in DxD it is easy to overlook him.
wiki/Tobio_Ikuse
And his sacred gear info:
wiki/Canis_Lykaon