More like a filler chaptter, but I'll start getting serious in the next one. meanwhile, please enjoy another pervert shenanigan caused by the force of third ones and Ichijou's stupidity. Kinda...
Highschool dxD does not belongs to me~.
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~~x~~
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I don't know if I'm Dante Alighieri, but I think I'm going on the right direction, because a person can only pass out and wake up so many times. My whole body, specially my face, is numb, but strangely, not sore at all, so that's good for now. Not to mention, this pillow is really soft and warm, so much I snuggled a little on it. So comfy...
"Oh, my. Sekiryuuteis do like some spoiling, don't they?" A soft-as-silk voice reached my ear, as fingers reached it to scratch it a little. I bit my tongue to not to moan. This voice is not familiar! Who's that?! I turned around, opened my eyes and saw... Boobs.
Boobs...
*Sigh!* boobs. My mortal enemies. The only thing that stays in the way to see the owner of that voice. And I can't shove them away, or else whoever is on the other side will think I'm a pervert. Granted, since I became a devil, girls are more willing to show me their private mounts and valleys, but this is... Not okay for now.
"Err~... Who it might be?" I said, trying to sound as polite as possible, biting my tongue to avoid any kind of indecent comment on the woman who's lap-pillowing me. I heard a madam's laugh by the other side of those... Huge tracks of land, and a head popped by them. Pretty yet mature face, red eyes, red hair in a motherly side tail and bright smile. Gremory? No, I already know the sisters, so she's probably a cousin or something. "And... Good afternoon?"
"Good afternoon, mr. Sekiryuutei. Or should I say, Tsukino Ichijou? Or maybe, since you're a man, seieki-ryuutei? Oh, I just made a joke. Huhuhuh~." She laughed at her own indecent pun, hiding her mouth with her hand. Yep, definitely a relative, because there's no way a Gremory to be this cute. She reached a hand for my ear and scratched it again. This is cool. Lap-pillowed by a hot and adorable woman. "Nice to meet you."
"L-Likewise..." I said, turning my face to a stare at the ceiling, but turning back to sideways because it will look like I am looking at her breasts. Taking another glance, I found myself in a pretty fancy-looking room: the red carpet, the fancy crystal chandelier above our heads, those pretty lamps hanging from the walls and those other rich-people things you find. Looking down, I saw that I was now wearing fancy clothes, a suit to be specific, and my body by inside was covered in bandages. I wonder what happened. "Huh~, could you please tell me where I am? I'm a little nervous because this place is new to me."
"Sure. You're currently at the Gremory House's main courtroom. I'm sorry if this place is maybe too small for you." She said, as I gasped in surprise. Why does she mean by that? This place is awesome! Way bigger than my house alone! But did she say... Gremory house? "Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name is Alice Gremory. And I'm your king's mother. Pleased to meet you."
"Gaaah!" The sheer surprise of that new made me roll to the ground and stay on four on the floor, now tossing my eyes to the redhead on the fancy-looking sofa. Her?! This pretty lady is Gremory's mother?! MOTHER?! Not even my own is that pretty! "Gremory's... Mother?! Not another sister or cousin?!"
"Ara, ara? Am I really that young-looking?" She said, blushing and with a smile, tilting her head to a side and resting one of her cheeks on one hand. "You don't need to be polite, Sekiryuutei-kun. I know how old I am."
"No! No! Not at all! You're... I mean, lady Alice is very pretty and beautiful! There's no way to mistake her from anything else!" I said. Yep, I know it sounds ridiculous, but she's really pretty. There's no denying it.
Suddenly, my arms weakened, and I ended up kissing the floor. Strange, I'm not hurt in any way and I can't see any bruises or wounds, but my body is a little 's uncool, but at least I didn't cry. Talking about crying, what happened between then in the springs and now? I mean, I remember that after a small recollection of memories back in the springs, I passed out, and then, I woke up in a strange classroom in the middle of nowhere, met a strange girl, Yagura, we fought and, in the end, she kissed me.
A girl I didn't even know... Kissed me.
...
...
"GAAAAAAAAAH~! The horror!"
"Wow, quite energetic,you are, even after entering Juggernaut Drive. I'm impressed." Lady Alice said with a smile and a giggle to my small tantrum. I stopped as soon as I heard that... Something. 'Juggernaut Drive'? What is that? And she said I 'entered this state'? What does it mean? I put myself sit on the floor and looked back at her.
"Lady... Alice?"
"Please, drop the 'lady'. I'm like your mother now, call me 'auntie' or 'mom'." Heh, no way. No matter who or what you are, there's only one mother for me, so I guess 'auntie' it is. I gulped a little, I'm a little nervous to call someone apparently so important in such casual manner.
"So... Auntie Alice, what is this Juggernaut Drive you speak of?" I said, instinctively looking at my left arm. If there's anything new happening to me, it has to be because of my Boosted Gear. She spaced out for a second, and turned back to me.
"Oh, nothing too important. You just passed out a little during your training. Don't worry, I healed you, so you're good to go, if not a little sore." She said, patting her own lap and still smiling. I dunno, but that voice now sounds so fake to me. "You can always come here and let me pet you a little more if you want to."
"I-I think I'll pass." I said, blushing a little. Are Devil girls always this flirty. No, wait, she's married, so I guess she's just toying with me... Or not. I dunno? Does devilwomen have harems? Double standards are also a thing in the underworld? Better not think of that too much. I stood up and bowed to her. "Thank you for you hospitality and healing. I deeply appreciated it and I hope I can return the favor one day!"
"Polite. I like that. You're a good kid, or just too sensitive." She said, as I lifted my head and sighed. Talking to older people makes me nervous. Not to mention, I'm talking to Gremory's mother, so I can't take the risk to talk shit about her, not even in an indirect way. The simple fact that I'm staying in the same room with this lady is making me uncomfortable, and it is not just because of her overwhelming power. She smiled to me again. "Well, if you want to give me something in return, we can always have a cup of tea once in a while, but for now, my only request is: please keep supporting my daughter."
"..." I gulped. Well, the worst thing that happened to Gremory was myself, hitting her now and then, not to mention, I'm not exactly the best of queens. I can't say that I'm proud of that seeing how much Lady Alice cares about her. I'm Gremory's Queen, but I barely know her. Well, at least I'll have to keep my promise as a man of worth, barely, so I bowed again. "Of course, Lad-... Auntie Alice. I'll protect your... Daughter will with all of my strength!"
Did I do well? Was I too forced? Did I sounded pathetic or too fake? Suddenly, the atmosphere around the room grew cold, extremely cold, as Lady Gremory, still smiling, stood up from the sofa and shot her red eyes to me. A cold chill ran down my spine. What the... Did I said something wrong?
"Ara, ara. Isn't that adorable? Little Sekiryuutei thinks he's strong enough to say that. I'm honored, yet at the same time, not." She said, still with that silky voice, yet, now it sounded so venomous and dry. I gulped, clenching my fists. Say what? What does she mean? "Sorry, I'm kinda old, my 'support' is not 'protect'. You see, I raised, taught, praised, punished, shared moments and watched them grow. Not just 'protect' them. I'm sorry, maybe I'm just a little old to noticed that 'protect' and 'support' means the same thing, now."
"..." I gulped again, clenching my now sweat-soaked fingers and biting my tongue. Shit, I've enraged her. She's totally pissed off right now! She opened her eyes, and her expression softened a little, as she was now looking at the floor.
"But, you see; I pity you, Sekiryuutei-kun." She said, her voice a little calmer now, but still with that venomous aura around. Her own words was what ticked me off, though. She's threatening me. She leaned forward, and smiled. "If you want to protect my daughter... No, if you want to protect everyone you care about..."
*ZOOM!*
*STEP!*
"What...?!"
"You might break soon."
Unbelievable! She cut the distance between us in a second, and after that, she stomped on my foot! Not just that, she's just a few centimeters away from my face, as I could feel her breath touching my nose. I tried to back off, but the amount of pressure on my foot is too much, enough to practically pin me there. Lady Alice tilted her head to a side, and her face became calm and collected, as she softened her expressions.
"Please. As much you care about her, or anyone, don't deny them the chance to grow. You might break to never recover, like my poor granduncle, and I don't want that." She said in a caring, motherly tone. Granduncle, of course she means senpai, but break to never recover is a little too extreme. To not deny them a chance to grow. Oh, I get it. "Please, be aware that she has your back as well."
"I... I understand. Sorry for my arrogance, lady Gremory." I said back, taking a deep breath as the aura around the room lifted, and Auntie Alice smiled brightly again, removing her shoes from my foot. Ouch; that one kinda hurt. She patted me on the head.
"You're her queen, right? Since you're the one closer to her, Support and help her while holding her hand close to you. You might learn a thing or two. Gremories are tricky bastards." She finished, puffing the air on her lungs and sitting back on her sofa, while I found myself dumbfounded by her words. To support, and not to protect. I get it now. Of course, it's the same for senpai and me: he's my idol, but I can't rely on his model for too long. Besides, those girls have been saving my ass since my reincarnation, so it's a given I need them more than they need me. Kinda harsh and pathetic when you think about it. She reached for her small tea table and from there she picked two items that only now I noticed were missing: Lady Akeno's ribbon and Kamiyama's lucky charm bracelet... That it was shattered in several pieces. "Those were with you. I removed them because they were getting in the way. I hope you don't mind."
"No. Not at all." I sighed, picking them back and pitifully staring at the broken silver bracelet my crush gave to me. Geez, I'm glad Lady Himejima's ribbon is safe, but why the bracelet~? I feel like crying, but I sucked it up and wrapped that yellow ribbon back to my left hand, putting the remains of Kamiyama's gift underneath it. At least it will stay there. Lady Alice clapped her hands a few times to call for my attention.
"Now, maybe you want some tea? Or coffee? Boys like coffee. So I'll order them later." She said with a smile, as I nodded. Yeah, some coffee would be good. I need to maintain myself awake to the max: "Don't worry, they're coming right~... Now."
*OPEN!*
"Lady Alice, I brought your tea. Sorry for my delay." And at the exactly the same time lady Gremory finished her sentence, another figure walked into the room. That one was a short, cute blonde with several braids by her back running all the way to her feet, pale skin and blue eyes, wearing a red puffy dress and carrying a silver plate full of China ornaments and tea sets. She walked by the sofa where the mother redhead was rest, and placed the set next to the tea-table next to her. "I hope you like it. Those herbs were not easy to find."
"Why, thank you, Phenex-chan. You're consideration regarding myself melts my heart. Oh-hoh, I just made another joke." And lady Gremory giggled, while the blonde next to her drew an uneasy smile on her lips.
Wait, did she say... Phenex? As in Ravel Phenex? Gremory once told me that: the Phenex are one the of surviving families on the underworld, holding the title of Marquis, and one of the richest around because of their Phenex tears, a special medicine with regenerative properties. Not to mention, the younger sister of one of Senpai's rival was one of his lovers, causing the Phenex clan and the Gremory clan to form an alliance of a sorts. So this girl is either one of those DxD children or descendant of the infamous yakitori, Riser Phenex. Oh, wait, there were also the two older brothers. Was when I finished my small monologue that she finally noticed me. From that moment, her smile vanished, and she turned red, her blond hair catching fire soon after.
"Err... Hello?" I tried, lifting a hand in a gesture of friendship and amicability. "How are you, miss Phenex? I am-..."
*VOOOOOSH...!*
"Yeow...!" And before I could finish my sentence, she extended her arm to me and unleashed a true hell of fiery golden flames! With my strengthen senses, I was able to dodge it, but she kept it shooting at me for some reason!
"Get away from me, you pervert! ERO-MANIAC! PANTIES-SNIFFER! RAPIST! MOLESTER! POOP-EATING DUMMY!" She said as she cried and tried to make fried-bat out of me. What the hell?! Is that one of senpai's infamous titles?! And the last one didn't make any sense! But she didn't even wanted to talk about it, so I had to dodge all of her flames until Lady Alice stopped her by holding her by the shoulder and calm her down.
"Relax~, relax, Raven-chan. He didn't do it on purpose. He was unconscious, remember?" The redhead said, as the blonde by her arms was holding her tears with a pout, her face still red as a tomato. It took her some time to finally put her flames away, as I stood up from the floor. What the hell? Is this some kind of vendetta from the Phenex against the red Dragon? No, it can't be.
"Hey... Lad-... Auntie Gremory? Could you please tell me what's going on?" I asked, as the Phenex by her side entered overdrive again. Something tells me she has something to do with the situation in question.
"Well, Sekiryuutei-kun, after you fell unconscious, we noticed that you had too much burns and bruises, so we decided that maybe using some Phenex tears would be a great idea, so..."
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~~ BACK THEN... ~~
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Now I'm with the current Sekiryuutei, who is lying on the couch, as Jin-Yong-dono is resting somewhere else. The poor lad had burn marks all over his body, not to mention some serious bruises and the fact that his left arm had scales growing directly from inside his skin, sticking out in a very painful-looking way. No wonder he's like that: he stayed in Juggernaut Drive for almost half a hour, and fought against Aria-chan, Jin-Yong and my husband. Is a miracle he's still alive.
Glad I'm really good in healing magic. Not to mention he's very cooperative: his muscles are no longer clashing with one another, and his breathing went from uncontrollable to calm. That's good. I picked a small chair around the place, put it by one of the sides of the sofa and sat myself there, on the level of his chest and stomach. I reached my hands to him, and the healing session finally began. Some bruises were a breeze, while others seems that will leave a scar, but nothing too serious. I looked from the window, and there they are, Cohen and Aria, fighting each other. Huh, better ignore them, they'll fight their own heat and sadness away. Poor Aria almost broke down in tears if it wasn't for my dear husband to punch her in the face. Well, back to work...
It took some time, but I did it. Some of the larger bruises were gone, but some scars and burn marks are a big deal now. Not to mention, there's still blood running from his cuts caused by the scales in his left arm. Oh, well, but I've already called someone, and she's coming right... Now.
*OPEN!*
"I'm here, lady Alice. I brought the Phenex tears you asked for." The younger daughter of my dear friend Rhea Phenex entered my room, carrying with herself a small pack of Phenex tears, but taking her time to gasp as she saw the lad on the sofa. Of course, the Sekiryuutei doesn't have much of a good reputation among the Phenex, since he made a mark on both the younger siblings. She's the granddaughter of the first one, so of course She'd be resentful about this. "W-What?! Is that the Sekiryuutei?! What is he doing here?!"
"We had some technical problems here. Nothing much, don't worry about it, Raven. Thank you for the tears." I said as I stood up to pick the small liquid treasures from her and sit back besides my daughter's queen. I picked the small glass of tears and poured the single drop on him, as his aura stabilized and his body began to heal. Yeah, Sekiryuutei, bath yourself in Phenex tears, You're good in doing this. His breathing went back to normal, and he sighed in relief, only to keep sleeping. What a cutie...
Oh, this just gave me an idea~.
"Phenex-chan~, could you help me with something~." I singsong to her, as she turned her trembling self to me, snapping her back to reality. I stood up from my chair and after a small scan on my medical kit, I found it: a small old-looking jar of a special ointment. I opened it, and soon that mint-like scent filled my nostrils. Yep, is that one. This will boost his stamina, regain his strength and give him some... Service. I turned back to her. "Look, Sekiryuutei here is having a hard time regaining his strength, so I need someone to pass this special ointment on his body. Could you please be a sweetie and do it yourself?"
"W-W-What the... What are you saying, Lady Alice?!" She outbursted, red as a tomato and with her hair On fire. Huhuhuh, puberty. "M-Me?! Passing ointment on this... Filthy Sekiryuutei?! I apologize for my words, but there's no way in hell I'm gonna do that!"
"Meh~, joy-killer. Just so you know, only a Phenex can do such task without any whining." I said, trying to hide my own sly smile, seeing the girl gasp and turn her face to me. Oh, c'mon. Just a little more, and we're done with the struggle. "Yes. This task requires great accuracy in controlling body heat and total synchronization between the healer and the patient. Not to mention, this ointment can only be handle by careful, artist hands. And from I can see, you should be more than capable to do such."
"R-Really?!" And she picked it up. Huh, it has been always like this, but I guess some people never learn. Now, Raven-chan is beaming with excitement, her former nervousness and disgust gone. Oh~, how much I love mess with little idiots. She approach me, and tried to pick the jar in my hands.
"But~... Since you've said that there's no way for you to stay close to the Sekiryuutei, I guess we will have to ask your father to help him out~." I continued with my teasing, as I could see my dear goddaughter divided between her natural Phenex pride and shame. She grimaced a little, pouted, scratched her head and hair, and bit her lips. In the end, like I was expecting, she crossed her arms and pouted, eyes closed.
"I-I can handle it! Of course! I'm a Phenex! One is enough to get the job done!" She said with confidence and arrogance, as I laughed to a side. I won. She approached me and looked at the jar of ointment. "Huh~, could you please, at least teach me how to do it?"
"Of course!" I passed the tip of my fingers on the substance in the jar, and seeing how viscous and smelly it was, I can guarantee to have immediate results and some amusement for me. Raven-chan snorted a little because of the mint-like scent, but looked in fascination the honey-looking gel in my palm. "First... I'll need you to strip to your underwear, please."
"E-Eh...?!"
And after some more manipulation and 'big talk about the Phenex', Raven finally undressed, save her panties, and let me pass some of the ointment on her. In the end, she was soaked in mint-scent healing oil, and now on four above the Sekiryuutei, the medicine dripping from her breasts and falling on his chest. The drops melted on his body, as soon after, the skin there went back to normal.
"L-Lady Gremory... Is this really necessary?" She said, turning her watering eyes to me. I puffed in amusement, but, yeah, that ointment is actually a powerful medicine called 'Succubus's ring'. It can be only used on individuals with the opposite gender of the healer's. It is indeed affective, and by making skin-on-skin contact plus the heat, they can share stamina and demonic energy. Not to mention, maybe this will stabilize the flow of dragonic energy on his left arm. Seeing the healing ability of the medicine, Raven-chan reached for his shoulder and touched there with her ointment-soaked hand. It made almost instant effect, as the burn-mark there disappeared after a few brushes. "Oh, wow... It... It really works!"
"It does, doesn't it?" I smiled as Raven-chan resumed her treatment with her guest. She began with his shoulders, and then his neck, to finally his right arm. All the burn marks and bruises were healing pretty fast thanks to her natural high body heat and high demonic level, after all, the Succubus's Ring can only reach it's full potential with high body heat. But of course...
*TOUCH!*
*PINCH!*
"Hyaah~..." She moaned as she finally reached his chest area. Oh, yeah, the only collateral effect of this ointment: if one feels, the others will too. "W-What was that?"
"Probably a small warm-spot because of the medicine." I faked a smile, and walked away from this room. For what is worth, I'm not a pedo, I just like to mess with those kids. "Just make sure to cover all the area from his waist up! Remember: only a Phenex can do such task!"
"U-understood!" She said, trying to sound tough and professional, but her watery eyes and trembling lips were saying something else.
"Oh, and by the way, the warmer the spot, the faster his recovery will be!"
"W-What...?!"
And I closed the door behind me, as I could hear her gulp and nod in understatement. In reality, I just supported my back against the door, as I could hear all the action by the other side...
"Warm spots... What if... What if I use my breasts? Is it... Is it better..."
I laughed as I heard the splashy sound of skin-oil-skin, as she moaned louder. Double feeling should be already making her head blank a little.
"I-I knew it... It was a bad idea... Better... Better use my han-Aaaaah...?! I can't... I can't get it off!"
Oh, she already noticed: Succubus's ring can only be removed by sweat and other fluids, or else it'll remain sticky. Huhuh, Rhea, I don't care if you burn me to a crisp later, this is so worth it!
"W-What should I do~? It's so sticky and smelly~, b-but I can't stop~..."
And the final and most special effect of the ointment: the aphrodisiac smell will make you do stupid things. So the only thing left to do is turn things pretty steamy.
"Waaah~... What's that~? My head is getting numb~... I can't stop~... Somebody help me~! I'll grow addict to it~."
I remember when I said that when I was curing Cohen some decades ago. Yeah, fortunately, the effects will wear off before anything drastic happens. The medicine can only boost desire, and if none of the two are consent, than nothing will happen. This, and for the fact that I don't want Rhea to kill me.
"Uwaaah~... It's so hot~... I'm... I'm melting..."
"What the hell...?!"
Oh, no. He must've wake up! Okay, Alice, calm down... And enjoy the rest of the show~.
"Who are you?! Why are you naked!"
"Kyaaaah~! Don't move~! You'll tear me apart!"
"What the hell is this thing?! G-Get away from me!"
*FOIM! FOIM!*
"Waaaaah~! Not there~! Please~, not there~!"
"I can't... Take it off...! I can't take it off!"
"Please~, stop moving~! I can't! I can't~! IcantIcantIcantIcantIcant~...!"
"Please, calm down! If you say something like this that way...!"
"Waaaaah~...!"
"GAAAAAAAH!"
*BOOM!*
...
...
Well, that's enough for tonight, folks. I have several ideals for fanfictions and other stuff, so I think he's good for now. I took a deep breath, and opened back the door to the living room, seeing now the couple all splat on the floor, the Phenex Heiress panting and trembling a little on top of the poor boy with a true bloody river running down his nose. Despite my original idea, his burn scars were finally gone, and his left arm went back to normal. That's a relief, really.
"And good work for you, Raven-chan." I said as I picked a blanket to wrap her with, and put the boy back on the sofa. Better ask for the maids to put some clothes in him, since he's only wearing bathing-shorts and a yellow ribbon on his wrist. Huhuhuh~, I'm so excited to talk about this with them when they weak up... Not the whole story, of course...
.
~~NOW~~
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So~... That's what happened. According to Lady Alice and her accidental overhearing, I just got steamy with a girl by accident. No wonder my body is fine even after the training. Instead of celebrating, however, I just folded myself on my chair, feeling a mix of regret, anger and self-hatred. I looked to another side, and saw Phenex-San doing the same.
"I-I'm really sorry. Should've stayed calm during that time." I mumbled, biting my lips and grunting all the way.
"No, should've never thought of that. I'm the one... Who should be apologizing." She said back, as we parted gazes and looked at the opposite direction. Between us, Lady Alice poured some tea with something that I can only describe as a Cheshire grin on her lips. She offered me some, and then to Phenex-San, and we three gulped it down. What's with Devils and tea, anyway?
"So, your Rating Game is right around the corner, right Sekiryuutei-kun?" Lady Alice asked, finishing her cup and pouring some more. I lost track of time here in the underworld, but the deadline shouldn't be too far away. I nodded, drinking out of my cup only to noticed that I already did. I'm that nervous. "Any idea how to at least survive? Nemesis only lost four rating Games, so she can and will try annihilate you and the rest of Rina's peerage. How many are they, anyway?"
"Four, including me." I said back. Lady Alice looked at me, and then she simply went 'meh', with a contemptuous half-grin. Now I see how they're related; fricking annoying. "But I guess we can do something. If anyone is really training as hard as I think, then maybe we have a chance. A minimalistic, but a chance nonetheless. "
"It's good to have hope. It's best to put hope onto something and be disappointed than wait for nothing and let our faces hit the floor, that's how my auntie used to say." Auntie? And where I heard those words before? Ah, no matter, rating game is the priority here. Lady Alice stood up from the sofa and walked away. Wait, she's gonna leave me with her?! "I'll going to see if Aria-chan and Jin-Yong-dono are okay. See you two later~. Don't stain the sofa, now, you two~."
"W-Wait! Lady Alice, can we please talk abo-...!"
*BAM!*
And she's gone. She even didn't look back, she didn't even hesitated, she simply stormed the door down, leaving me and Phenex-San alone. Now, I'm really questioning the veracity of her story. But I can't snark or say anything to her, really...
Back to Phenex-san, she's probably traumatized for being... GROPED BAH MAH HANDS! Shit! Losing control! So... Uh... Better come with something to break the ice, something innocent and pretty universal. It's always a good way to do things. I'm not that social, but I guess a innocent talk should be enough...
"So... Phenex... -sama? -Dono?" I said, as she turned around when I said '-dono', so I guess we're okay for now. At least she's a lot more humble that the tales says about the Phenex. She even apologized. Well, since now I'm on control and a little calmer, I should start a conversation with the gentle question... "Uhh~... What's your favorite Weekly Shounen Jump manga?"
"..."
"...?"
She started to tremble and shake on her seat. Shit! Shit! I mess up again! She might have a grudge against the Sekiryuutei, but nonetheless, that's a question that should be avoided at all cost! Shit! Now, what?! C'mon think of something!
"Err... Raven... Phenex-dono, I'm sorry if this question sounds stupid. It's just the heat of the moment, and...!"
"How can you...!" Before I could finish my sentence, she turned to me with disdainful and watery eyes and shout at me at the top of her lungs. "How can you be so childish?! You're a highschooler and still reads Jump?! Everybody knows that Valkyrie Comics and Jump Square are the best in Manga!"
"..."
"..."
"What...?!"
.
~~x~~
.
Making tea~, making tea~, I love making tea~. It's just so relaxing~. People said that I'm strange for that, but I like it so~ much! Specially those with strange names. What Green Gunpowder means, anyway? Who cares? It's still delicious~. I'm just in my own kitchen apart from the servants's preparing some delicious elixir to my dear guests, pouring some honey and sugar to it to help Sekiryuutei recover his stamina and energy faster.
"You want some too, Aria?" I said to the blonde who was appearing in the dark, her clothes, consisting of sports-bra, sweatpants and a ponytail, a mess, but still intact. She pulled a chair for herself and sat on it to pick the cup I was offering to her. "Sorry about Cohen. He's just really bored with his duties as a Satan. He needs to let his steam out once in a while."
"Don't worry about it, auntie Alice. I need to train more anyway." She said bitterly, picking her cup with two hands and taking a deep sip out of it. She gasped for air, and put her cup on the kitchen table. "I fucked up, Auntie Alice..."
"Language, young lady."
"Sorry. But I did make a mess." She sighed, pouring some more of tea on her own cup and drinking everything in one shot. "I should've never... Told him to recollect memories. He suffered a lot. Sure, something petty comparing to others, but it did make a mark on him. Not to mention, The springs are a complete mess."
"Look on the bright side: at least we don't need to fly all the way up to enjoy the view." I said as a joke, but she took it by heart, and grunted at me. She's worried, I can feel it. That's cute. "So~... Juggernaut Drive, huh? Hard stuff, let me tell you. I prefer Cardinal Crimson Promotion. Grandmaster Millicas, my father, used to tell stories about it all the time. Faster than a shooting star, stronger that a supernova, magical as the universe itself. I wonder if I can see such beauty with that lad."
"Auntie Alice, if I may, could you please shut up?" She said, tipping her finger on the table and facepalming. She's lost in thoughts. "Sorry, I'm just so frustrated. He was in JD all this time, for half a hour. Who knows how many years, or even months or even days he has left? And the one who caused this was me. Shit..."
"Well, a worthy life is not how many days you live, but how do you expend them. It's just like comparing Evangelion with Naruto. One longer than other, same impact." I said, sipping my coffee. Out of the sudden, *BUM!*, she smashed my dear kitchen table to the ground, and also opening a hole in there. Oh, my, Cohen's gonna be so mad. At least I saved the China. "It's not your fault, Aria. It was an accident. Those happen all the time. Your grand-grandfather activated on the same age, or at least one year later, than that lad."
"..." And she's now snorting. Geez, I overheard their talk and it was me who called for Cohen, yet, she's overreacting a bit. Out of pity, I reached for her back and hugged her from there. She calmed down a little, but continued to sob.
"There, there. Your auntie Alice is here." I said. "Do you want to know something? I read his energy flow. He's not gonna die anytime soon."
"W-What...?" She sobbed one more time, and sighed her sadness away to look me in the eye.
"Yeah. He's fine... Sure, I used some of his lifespan to take care of some of his injures, but overall, he's gonna live as long as Rina, if not a bit sooner." And that's true. For some reason, despite the long exposure to the power of the Juggernaut Drive, his soul and minds were somehow intact. Only his body took some major damage. Aria-chan also said that he didn't stay berserk all the time, as he just responded when properly triggered. I wonder what caused that.
"You're not... You're not joking, are you Auntie?" She said to me, gulping in expectation and fear at the same time. Maybe I should say 'no, he dies tomorrow', just to make fun of her, but she's shaken enough. Also, her Rating Game is also around, so I can't comatose her for what is worth.
"His body was a mess, but he'll live. I couldn't feel any problems with his soul, either. Maybe there was something inside the Boosted Gear that saved him or whatnot, I don't know. But who cares, he's gonna live." I poured some tea to myself, and put the jar back on the kitchen table... Only to it to shatter in a million pieces because there was no table there anymore. As I miserably cried over my expensive and adorable jar of tea, Aria filled her cheeks with air and sighed a good one in relief. Huh, she cares about him? That's good, maybe she can help with later.
"I'm... I'm really glad about it." She said, drying some of her nervousness tears. I smiled back to her and put my cup on the table... *CRASH!* and I forgot about the absence of it... Again!
"That's good. Seeing you upset really makes me sad." I said, looking at the other direction. "Not to mention, if that lad dies, there it goes my plan, down the hole~."
"What?" And suddenly, the atmosphere around the kitchen just went dark. I looked to a side, and saw Aria with her still bloodshot eyes turned to me, an ominous aura coming out of her very soul. Oh, dear...
"Oh, my. Did I said that out loud? I didn't mean it." I said faking sorrow, as Aria narrowed her eyes and leaked some of her own demonic power around. I being myself, didn't even flinch. "But I guess there's no problem. After all, I'm hoping you can join me with my plan, knowing you so well~."
"You...!" And before she could do anything harsh, she stomped hard on the floor, like she usually do, and took a deep breath. She knows I'm stronger than her, so she probably wants to discuss things around. Poor her, I've already made my mind. "Lady Alice Gremory. Can we talk about it? If you're trying anything with that boy...!"
"Oh my. What makes you think that of your dear, dear auntie that loves you like a real daughter?" I smiled with a bit of fake sorrow and hurt. I didn't pass her. Huh... Maybe it's the time, alright. She's getting upset too, and I hate to leave her upset. "Okay then, I'll tell you my secret plan, and maybe you can join me if you want~. My ultimate plan that..."
... I made Specifically for Sekiryuutei-kun.
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~~X~~
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And the plot thickens a little. Just so you know, Raven will not be just a one-shot character. maybe, maybe not. What do you guys think? I... I'm really forcing the T-rating, aint I? But, oih well, at least he's doing progress. Huhuh... Don't worry, kinda of a filler chapter, but the rating game begins next chapter!