Welcome back to chapter 23! It's been a while, but both WhiteDragonSky and I have our schedule, so updates don't have a specific frequency, sorry. Anyway, I will probably dedicate the next chapters to the various characters (and also to lemons) but I don't know how many exactly, maybe 5 or 6. As always, thank WhiteDragonSky for the translation and let's move on to the reviews, which this time are a few:

MrBatman123086: I have no idea what it is, but I'll take a look.

m3g4t0: glad you liked it. And yes, Avalon will always have the usual functions of healing, blocking aging and the manifestation of its barrier (but it will be possible to use it without materializing the scabbard and sword)

Sultan Asil Arslan: I really wanted to put it in this chapter, but I decided to give Haru some peace of mind, because in the following arches she will dream of her at night XD

Petrox: I didn't understand who 'Gary Stu' is but it seemed to me that I made it clear where Dragon force (magic implanted in Haru with the dragon core) and the blood-enhanced traicing ability, but ok. The disproportionate amounts of Mana derive from the Dragon core, while the magic without singing or calculations will soon be seen the reason for their absence. If you got tired of following the story for this, well patience.

Jehu & TheLost01: yes, Haru after the activation of Dragon force is a human-dragon hybrid (even if only in a small percentage) and has traces of divinity in him thanks to Ophis.

RedBurningDragon: Of course there will also be Fou, what questions ?!

KadeBear: yes, mind and trying to put the excalibur back together Vivian slowed down the time to talk to him and then Merlin appeared a moment later. Anyway yes, Haru would have lost if Dulio hadn't arrived and don't worry I'll keep writing ^^

superpierce: can't tell now, i'd spoil the whole plot, sorry.

MrSunshine744: thank you, I'm happy with it ^^

xbox432: yes, it was pretty messed up but since I got a lot of messages with complaints I posted a chapter with the status and had WhiteDragonSky fix it when he had time.

10: I have no idea, in Italy we use centimeters not feet, so I never stopped to make comparisons.

I didn't answer all the reviews, as there were a lot of them this time, but several of them were asking for the same things, so I skipped a few. That said, good reading and take a look at the note at the end of the chapter.

When I regained consciousness, the first thing which struck me was nausea and an incredible sense of fatigue, similar to the one caused by a physical breakdown. How long had it been since I last felt it? Less than I would really like.

The second impression I got was quite the opposite, rather comfortable actually. I force my eyes to open wide, only to become aware of the pleasant smell lingering in the air. I don't find time to adjust to my surroundings when I find myself staring at two curious but somewhat apathetic pinkish-purple orbs. The woman in front of me could simply be described as breathtaking, so alluring is she, but something in her gaze made me jump on alert, immediately breaking my trance-like, sleepy state. White hair but seeming to shine like a rainbow, waist-length and a fancy cream-coloured tunic showing a refined and modest appearance at the same time, with gold trim and the inside of the dress black, underneath with black tights and black fingerless gloves. She also wears black boots with gold accents. A smile appears on her delicate and perfect facial features.

"'I must say, you have a really exceptional recovery speed" the albino compliments.

"What happened to me? We were fresh off fighting Kokabiel and his group then I collapsed without warning..." the situation had caught me off guard that I couldn't understand it.

"Eh yeah, it may be the curse to blame" she replied, and I blinked confused "Vivian had already told you that, but she had cursed Excalibur to break it and prevent anyone from repairing it. You forced your hand enough to try and bring it back together, to the point where she had to manifest in order to stop you, or at least she tried. That curse and the transformation from Ddraig's dragon core wore you out and you crumbled without even realizing it."

I frown. There are still several things that aren't adding up for me in this.

"Oh right, you must be confused about the curse. Well theoretically it was only supposed to drain you of all your magical power and then your life force, but since you got permission to wield Excalibur you used up your magical reserves and after it was used you didn't notice that you were nearly running out of mana" she interjects at my question with a shrug "You were almost down on mana, even your body had reached its limit with the chakra gates and dragonification, but you should probably be grateful for the adrenaline in your system if you didn't notice.

"...That's right, I had forgotten about your capacity for foresight" I reply after a very brief pause in thought.

"I'm surprised you are aware of it. Usually people don't notice, or don't remember since I was a minor character in King Arthur's story" she retorts surprised.

"Mmn" I utter a sound to confirm that I heard. I was still clutched to her lap and I have to admit it's really comfortable as well as smelling good too "Tell me, how long was I unconscious?"

"A couple of days" she replies as she starts to fiddle with my hair "However I will say again, I am surprised at how quickly you have recovered. Your stamina is almost completely back and your Mana reserves are over 70%."

"I suppose you have a hand in this" I ask feeling listless and not keen to get up.

"Yes and no. You should thank a certain little nekoshou. She facilitated the process by using senjutsu to heal your exhausted body, while I simply maximised the speed at which your Mana regenerated through the seal on your forehead. Heaven forbid some other enemy should suddenly show up" she quips with a frown "You know you really are a calamity for trouble right?"

She asks while sighing, but my eye twitches at the reminder.

"You can save yourself the trouble of pretending it doesn't amuse you Merlin" I reply impassively "By the way, what did you do to the hundred year old seal?"

"Teehee" she sticks her tongue out playfully as she smacks her head to the side, trying to be cute "There there, you should work on the names you know? that one's pretty bad"

"There's going to be a mess when I wake up isn't it? Sigh you know what, I'm open to suggestions" I ask losing any desire to get up, I dread to imagine what I'll have to explain.

"Yeah" Merlin replies cheerfully and a small grumble comes out of my throat "Anyway, I didn't do anything fancy. I just upgraded it a little to ensure that it strains your body less after use, and I had changed it to make your Mana accumulate faster but it turned unstable so I removed the feature eventually. Hmm you can consider that a...gift for passing the test? Not a lot of people appeal to my personal interest don't you think?"

I really didn't feel like dealing with the world right now, nor did I want to know how the hell she managed it from here.

"Are we inside Avalon?" I counter curiously as I cast a glance around, ignoring her last statement.

If I have to describe this place it seems genuinely peaceful, with green grasslands full of greenery and flowers surrounding us. We are at the foot of a large tower, which I assume is the prison where Merlin was trapped long ago.

"Yes, we're in my garden" she confirms as she motions for me to follow.

Reluctantly, I comply and stand up only to realize a detail...I'm only wearing boxers.

"What happened to my trousers? I don't remember being hurt anywhere near my groin, moreover with Avalon and my seal I shouldn't have any injuries" I state noticing my almost complete nakedness.

"Your girlfriend preferred to check regardless" the succubus answers with a shrug "Besides, I don't mind the show in the slightest"

"Oi" I mumble when I see her gaze a little too fixated on my body...I think I also see some drool coming from her mouth. Seriously but is it possible that almost everyone in here is either an open or closed pervert.

"Oh come on! It's been ages since anyone's visited me, and while you are a bit too young *cough* you're nonetheless cute" the albino whines in an attempt to defend her dignity.

"You can always go out you know" I reply wryly as I start looking for a clue to the exit.

"No" comes her reply ever so cheerfully.

"Whatever" I carry on not really willing to argue unnecessarily. In the end what she does is beyond me.

"Mou, obnoxious" she puffs her cheeks childishly when she takes notice of my disregard to her answer. She waves her cane and a portal materializes in front of us.

"Should I be worried that you put something weird in there?" I can't help but ask as I stare at the blue vortex before me and Merlin looks outraged at the question.

"What do you take me for! I'm a proper woman, I would never hurt you without a reason" she huffs with false indignation.

"For some reason, your statement doesn't make me feel any better" I shake my head and then cross.

Real world...

I open my eyes groggily and look around. I shift my gaze to the clock on the wall and realize it's almost 10:00 a.m., much later than the time we usually wake up. I tentatively try to move in an attempt to stand up but I catch some familiar scents and when I glance down I spot Koneko humming on my chest, Kunou on my right side and Ophis on my left. I smile slightly at the sight next to me, they sleep so peacefully without a care in the world. Unfortunately my joy could not be long-lived.

'Lolicon~'Merlin's singsong voice suddenly becomes audible. I in contrast reply with a sigh.

'That's why you were so quiet when I left' I utter unsurprised by hearing her voice in my head.

'Huh? That's it? No reaction?'she asks taken aback by my calmness.

'You're known for not just your prowess in magic, but because everyone remembers you as a universal pain in the ass' It would have been too odd if you hadn't done something' I respond deadpanned to her shenanigans.

'...I'm beginning to understand why Vivian was so upset after talking to you yesterday. You don't falter from anything'Merlin dryly replies when she doesn't get the reaction she was hoping for.

'What can I tell you? If I'm surrounded by idiots I can't help it'.

I receive a snort in return and her presence disappears. My concentration turns to the trio when I hear Koneko stir before yawning and crinkling her eyes. She catches my eye and then stares at me surprised for a moment, her eyes still hazy from sleep. The other two girls weren't using my arms, they were just snuggled into my sides, so I quickly move a hand to prevent Koneko from talking loudly or yelling as the others are sleeping.

"Easy, Kunou and Ophis are still asleep" she looks at me in wonder, now wide awake and nods slightly.

I remove my hand from her mouth and she lunges at my lips in a rather aggressive manner. I detect a slight residual chocolate aftertaste, but I ignore it in favour of our tongues twining together at a steady pace. Without really overthinking it, I run my right arm down Koneko's back and reach for her butt, running my hand under the fabric of her panties to savor the sensation of her small, soft ass and eliciting a somewhat ragged breath from the nekoshou. We exchange another passionate kiss, but this time more restrained, before pulling away and looking into each other's eyes.

"Good morning," I reply softly before she leans her head against my chest again, feeling my heartbeat.

"Good morning..."

I raise an eyebrow at her slightly off tone.

"What's going on?" I ask a little worried but she doesn't answer right away. She rests her head leaning on me, her cat ears lowered. I run a hand gently into her face and after a few moments she rises slightly to stare at me again, eyes a little wet.

"I was really worried when you were unconscious..." she admits as a few tears start to fall from her eyes "I've never seen you crumble like that before."

"ah...actually, I had it pretty bad" I confirm her concern, albeit a little reluctantly. I really don't wish to hide anything else from them, it had been very stressful last time "Listen apparently Excalibur was cursed, and bringing it back together took a very high toll on me"

"High is putting it mildly, you didn't have an ounce of strength left!" she hisses angrily and worriedly, causing me to smile uncomfortably.

I stroke her head in an attempt to placate her, feeling her soft hair is soothing and she calms down a tad bit.

"Sorry, but that was all I had at my fingertips" my apology didn't please her much, but she added no further and moved closer to give me a kiss, only this time it was more in the mould.

"Baka."

That mumble was one of the most adorable things I've heard in the last few days. We had no time to continue the conversation when a certain stomach rumbled, making the albino flush with some embarrassment.

"Shall I make breakfast?" I ask and she seems conflicted about saying yes.

"Are you alright now?" she insists, hesitant to let me get out of bed and I nod "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I haven't recovered all my magic power, but my body is perfectly fine even if it's a little sore from the lactic acid."

My answer was enough to calm her down on some level, so we quietly get up, leaving the other two girls sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Some time later...

It turns out that a few things have happened since my blackout. I was told the reason Sirzechs and Serafall weren't picking up was from a large-scale terrorist attack in Lilith, the capital of the underworld and other spots like the Grand King's house, the Dragon's Nest and a few other important areas. The destruction caused was quite extensive, but it drove out the Chaos Brigade. Same with the Grigori. A group of fallen ones showed up to pick up Kokabiel's corpse the day after the clash, while the group from the church without Xenovia went back, unsure exactly when I would wake up. Apparently there were internal problems at their place too. Some rioting, but the specifics are still unclear, and having no idea how to get their hands on Excalibur they were forced to leave quickly.

The Durandal bearer became the second knight of Rias and is living with us at the Hyodou residence. The Gremory and Sitri groups were still repairing the collateral damage from the battle, with Kuoh area sealed off. Tomorrow, the Maou and some devils would pass through to help with the adjustments, as Excalibur's power lingers in the air preventing them from approaching and applying all the changes. Issei had mentioned something about still feeling the presence of the tower of light, or something like that, but he didn't go into it because he and the other devils couldn't express it well either. They had woken up before us and after breakfast they all went and helped with the repairs, while Kunou and Ophis were off playing.

The death of one of the Cadre didn't go unnoticed of course, and while I was still out a flood of requests came in from everywhere. From the church, from the Maou, from the House of Pendragon, from the Clock Tower in London (surprisingly it's the wizards' headquarters here too, despite the fact that there are a lot more branches in this world, most likely due to the presence of the supernatural), from Olympus (probably due to Rule Breaker's involvement) and others. A flood of letters poured in from mages asking for an apprenticeship under me, others seeking me as an apprentice or warriors from various corners of the world with the same demands. The mountain of paperwork I found myself reading was unbelievable. The first day after the incident Issei, Koneko, Asia and Xenovia had to chase away a few hundred people who were trying to break into our house for the reasons mentioned above, but couldn't as result of the layers of barrier I had planted around the house right after its construction.

Temporarily, some members of the student council and the ORC except Rias and Akeno who were staying at the latter's temple, would be lodging with me because the area around the school had not yet been repaired, plus the apartment complex where they lived had been destroyed by Excalibur's discharge.

I take a sip of peach iced tea, although it's not my favorite, I need it to calm my early morning headache. Kuroka is still busy with Vali and her group, but she'd sent a message about her condition and that she'd be back in a few days, thankfully, as well as complaining that since Excalibur ruler had disappeared from Arthur's hands, the Pendragon clan member wouldn't stop stressing her soul over when I could drop in for a spar.

"So, what should we do?" when I tried to do a light workout after breakfast like each morning, Koneko and Kunou abruptly stormed at me saying I should (keyword obliged) rest.

"Good question..." replies Koneko not quite sure what to do either.

Today she had no intention to train since I had just woken up from a short burnout and since we usually do mostly that and we won't have school for a few more days, we were left with no options. Then an idea occurred to me.

"Why not go on a date?" my suggestion makes Koneko perk up "Ophis and Kunou went out to play with some friends and it's just the two of us. Plus we've missed a few steps, so we could take the opportunity to catch up."

"Yeah...you're right" she agrees a little red, vividly remembering what happened the week before "Let's go get ready then" she states a little more enthusiastically than she usually would, before running upstairs to get dressed.

I glance at the door she exited through for a bit, stunned by the way she was smiling but pleased all the same, and then head off to get ready in return.

Station...

For a change from the stupid school uniform, or clothes I use for training and fighting I went for something more distinguished. I put on a dark shirt, with jeans and belt of the same colour and some black dress shoes. That colour is my favourite, so I won't change it often, if ever possible, but since today is my first outing with Koneko I thought I'd dress up nice. I didn't forget to tidy up my unruly hair, which I usually leave as it is because I really don't care to waste time on it, with some help from Merlin of course, who had her own experience since she took care of Arthur as a baby. They're neater and smoother now, instead of the usual scruffy look that made them look almost curly.

"Where are we going?" inquires Koneko curiously and I turn my gaze to her, trying not to smile like an idiot.

A black short-sleeved blouse, a white skirt that reaches mid-thigh, with black cat prints and laces that stretch around her belly like a belt, forming two x's. The skirt also has braces which she has not put on, so they remain dangling. She is wearing purple and dark pink horizontal striped stockings, with black shoes and a small heel. She is also wearing a few accessories, such as her cat hair clips, a black collar wrapped around her neck with a pink cross and a chain around her left wrist.

"…"

"Why are you so quiet?" she asks confused as I stare intently at her.

"Huh? Ah, sorry. You look so cute dressed like that I was mesmerized" I remark bluntly.

I hear Merlin giggle as Koneko's eyes widen a little and she blushes.

"Y-you do?" she asks stroking her hair to the side, feeling embarrassed at the compliment.

"Yes" I answer sincerely "About your question, we are going to Akihabara"

"Akihabara?" she questions as the train pulls in.

"Yes. To be honest, I didn't really know what to come up with, however I thought I'd go for a ride there since we both enjoy video games" my statement surprises her.

"Y-you know?" it wasn't something she hid, but she hadn't really talked to me about it much before.

"Sure, you watch a lot of gameplays on youtube" I reply amused as she fidgets "Well, it's really nothing to be ashamed of, I was a nerd in my previous life too"

She is taken aback when I point this out.

"...I didn't expect that" she admits in amazement "I thought you were more of a fitness freak considering your workouts"

"Ahah, do I really give that impression?" I ask puzzled and she nods impassively, pointing out to me how many women of all ages and even a few men were staring unabashedly at my muscles, clearly evident even with my clothes on "But I was actually the exact opposite of now"

"Again, I didn't see that coming" she muses again, trying to picture me but failing to overlay an accurate image of me.

"W-well, I admit it hasn't been a life worthy of any note" I concede uncomfortably. I had thrown myself a curveball with the line earlier "I wasn't particularly good at sports, I didn't care about my looks or body at all, nor was I a genius at studying, but I had finished high school and had to start university to become a mangaka before I died."

"You were an Otaku" she ends impassively and I chuckle uncomfortably, not knowing whether or not to regret the decision to be more open about my past.

"In Italy people have a different conception of 'otaku' so it wouldn't really be the right term...but I still had friends to hang out with. We would go out to eat and hang around, as well as attend events and fairs, but I mostly loved anime, manga and video games, so those were the themes most of the time. We lost touch with each other over time, but we'd keep in contact occasionally."

"How come?" she asks curious willing to know more about me.

"Mmn... I was never a person who loved to talk, in my previous life especially, so I avoided contact with people I didn't know as much as possible, but I usually didn't write or call often. I was quite taciturn, so they didn't talk to me unless they needed something, while in conversations between friends I was the more passive one who intervened if needed or asked. I was also kind of an ass, a bit sadistic and sarcastic actually."

"You still are now too" Koneko states unfazed.

"In my defense I was more than that" I admit with a mixture of embarrassment and pride as she snorts indecisively whether to be amused or not "Regardless, I was the kind of person you wouldn't notice unless you were the only one in the room, some times to that degree either"

"Mn. From the way you described yourself you sounded almost like Gyakun" she comments as she fumbles to envision me in a big box.

"Now now let's not get carried away. However limited, I had a social life too and could talk to someone without dying trying" I snort with mock indignation.

The train whistles as it arrives at the station and stops, letting out the remaining passengers. Today for some reason the train was not particularly crowded, and we sat in a corner without many people around. More precisely, I sat with her on my lap. This train would arrive in Tokyo within an hour at the latest.

"Senpai"

"Tell me" I ask with my chin resting on top of her head.

"I want to get stronger" Koneko states resolutely.

"Where did that come from?" I ask surprised by her admission.

"During the fight I was the first to lose consciousness, even though I took down one of the enemies" I could hear a 'but' coming from a few miles away "But I wasn't any help beyond that. You did most of the work by taking out Kokabiel, the shadows that guy conjured up, and chasing him away when the other exorcist showed up. Even Issei-senpai bested Gawain by himself and Yuuto-senpai eliminated the most dangerous of the four with Galatine...compared to me..."

"Don't try to belittle your achievements" I admonish her good-naturedly "Sacred Gears are broken and you've seen that, but to eliminate those two they completely exhausted their resistance, and if the shards hadn't been involved, Kiba would have died against Ornstein while Issei wouldn't have been able to beat Gawein, at best they would have stalled. Their victory, incredible as it was, was purely situational while you defeated one of the enemy generals with your own forces. Besides, after you recovered you would have gone to help, so they would have won thanks to you if I hadn't arrived."

At least, that's what the three girls told me this morning at home while I was making breakfast. But no matter how much I try to be reassuring, we couldn't have known exactly how things would turn out, after all in a battle like that anything could have happened.

"Even so, I want to get stronger. Enough to never lose to anyone again" she adds as she turns to look at me expectantly "Can you teach me again?"

"Of course, I would have done that anyway even if you hadn't asked but at least I would like to spend a few quiet days" I sigh amused as she smiles.

She kisses me softly on the lips and I reciprocate with delight, quite content that no one was interrupting our moment of peace.

A part of me is still quite undecided about what to do though. Teaching Koneko chakra-based techniques was easy, she'd learn them with her eyes closed. She needs a powerful technique that can be used in an emergency, as I'm sure dangerous situations will only increase from here on.

Should I introduce her the Shirone mode early? Maybe an idea to discuss with Kuroka later. Perhaps I should try to make biijudama? Now I can stay much longer transformed and I need to have words with Ophis about my Dragon core to see what changes have occurred.

The rest of the trip passed between cuddling, kisses and idle chatter while ignoring all the jealous looks from the other passengers.

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Koneko's dress is the one seen in the Highschool Dxd Hero anime, but I didn't know how to describe it well, so I decided to spell it out here. He appears when Issei, Asia, Xenovia and Kiba are scolded after the battle to take Yasaka back from the hero faction.