Asia watched in amazement. Several hundred tentacles moved in unison, shaping a mountain. The tips of the tentacles had different forms and uses. Some of them were hands that formed rounded shapes, others were like insect legs that set tiny details into the sand, a handful were shaped like hoses and sprayed water to soften and harden the sand, and so on.
Soon, the formless mountain of sand turned into a grand sand castle. The castle was thirty meters tall and had three floors. The tentacles receded to reveal a young man with a wide grin. And not one of his signature perverse ones but a grin of pure happiness.
Asia squealed in joy. "Wow!"
The "skin" of the boy shifted like chameleon scales, settling into a black and white outfit for a butler. "My lady," he bowed gracefully. "Shall we enter your residence?"
"O-oh! It's mine?" Asia blushed, covering her cheeks to hide their redness.
"Yes," Issei nodded his head.
"I'll gladly accept!" Asia jumped up and down as she entered the sand castle.
"Wait," Issei stopped her, gently holding her by the arm. "Your clothes won't do."
Asia looked down to see herself in her bikini. Nothing grand. Issei waved his hand in the air in front of him. It seemed to split air into two, allowing a dark hole in space to form. Issei reached into it and pulled out a wooden box the size of a large elephant. He set it up. It was a wardrobe.
Issei opened up the wardrobe. Asia gasped at the vast number of dresses inside. They were all elegant with frills, bows, and glitters.
"Uhm, Issei-san, they are too lavish for me. I can't…" Asia shied away from the gigantic wardrobe.
A shadow covered them. Asia looked up to see Rias descending on them. "They're perfect, actually," she said, her wings folding behind her and receding into her back. "Don't you think so, Love?"
"They would fit her perfectly," Issei gave Rias a thumbs up.
"I'm not sure…"
"It's fine," Rias took Asia's wrist and drew her closer to the dresses. She let go and pulled out a dress that she thought would fit Asia. It was a backless red dress that looked like it suited the most beautiful woman and only the most beautiful.
"Something more plain," Issei suggested. Asia nodded, her breath taken away by how beautiful the dress was.
"Alright," Rias put the red dress back and went through the dresses. "How about this?" she took out a yellow dress this time. It was very suggestive, barely hiding the important bits of a female. It only hid the important bits! The cloth that it was made of was see-through and was only opaque at those areas.
Issei gave Rias a disapproving look. Asia looked aghast, her skin pale. Rias gave them a sheepish but unapologetic grin and quickly swapped the dress for a more humble one. A much more humble one.
"They say three is the charm," Rias handed the dress over to Asia, who took it with a squeal of delight. "You can keep it," she smiled softly. Rias was an angel disguised as a devil.
"Can I?"
"Of course," Rias patted Asia' head. "Just call me Onee-san from now on."
The author takes back calling her an angel. This devil had some ulterior motives.
"Thank you Onee-san!" Asia hugged Rias happily, to the glee of both Rias and Issei.
"Now let's get you changed," Rias pushed Asia along to the villa. She sent a teasing grin to Issei. "No peeking."
"Two perverts watching a maiden undress is a little too much, I agree."
Rias stuck her tongue out before they disappeared behind the door.
While they were gone, Xenovia and Irina approached the castle.
Irina's eyes glittered when she saw the castle of sand. She skipped merrily towards Issei with stars in her eyes. "That's so cool! Is Rias the Princess?" she shouted excitedly.
"Nope-"
"Oh! Oh! Can we play the role of knights?" Irina bounced around Issei, unable to keep in place.
"Why am I getting dragged in this?" Xenovia asked, but was ignored.
"Go ahead," Issei reached into his storage dimension and pulled out a large wooden chest, easily the size of a small house.
Irina whooped and kissed Issei on the cheek before opening the double doors of the chest. Xenovia was about to tip toe away but Irina grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in before she was able to slip away. "Come on Xenovia! Pick your armor!"
"I don't-" Xenovia's protests were silenced when she saw all the armor. Her mouth stood agape. All kinds of armor from those worn by pilgrims to those worn by the Italian white knights to the ancient Spartan bronze breastplates to the modern day armor used in the World Wars. The inside of the chest was like a giant storage that was much larger than it was on the outside due to magic.
"Uhm, Ise, could you help us put on the armor?"
"Sure, just pick what you want to use and call me," Issei called from outside.
"Okie~" Irina sang as she headed straight to the Gothic plate armor sets. She picked a half-plate armor set without the gorget, a sallet helmet, and a mail shirt with long sleeves.
Xenovia took her time, there were too many choices! Crusader gambeson? Maximilian Gothic armor? High age Italian full plate? Roman scale? Hungarian brigandine? She was in awe. It took her a while but she chose white Italian full plate.
Xenovia turned to see Irina fully dressed in her armor with a large grin on her face. Issei stood next to her, his tentacles retracting back into his body. They seemed to be chatting about the armor.
Xenovia was about to call out when another Issei appeared behind her. "Boo!"
Xenovia yelped and took a swing at him, which he dodged promptly. "You surprised me!" She looked back at Irina to find her missing.
"You finished choosing the armor?"
"Yes," Xenovia said.
Issei took a glance at the Italian full plate. "Alright, shall I help you change?"
Since Xenovia had no experience putting armor on, she agreed. Half a dozen tentacles emerged out of Issei's back, intent on disrobing Xenovia of her blue bikini and putting on the armor. It took a few scant seconds until Xenovia was decked out in her shiny new Italian full plate.
Issei brought a full length mirror via tentacle and held it up for Xenovia. Xenovia stared in wonder at herself. She didn't have the vocabulary to describe it. It felt like a mix of amazement, amazement… and amazement. Her face grew red. Sister Griselda was right, she needed to work on her vocabulary. She overheard Rias and Irina talking about fanfiction earlier and how it improved people's vocabulary, maybe she could join in one time?
"Well then, shall we meet the princess?" Issei broke her from her thoughts. Xenovia turned her attention to him, eyeing his offered hand. She ignored it, seeing that she was a knight and not the princess or a lady.
"Yes, my good sir," Xenovia said, trying her best to play the role of a knight. She stiffened the way she walked, her boots clanking on the wooden floor then getting muffled once they exited, trying to act knightly - but just came off as robotic.
"The second knight is here to escort you, Princess Asia!" Irina clapped her hands, her gauntlets making crashing sounds.
Xenovia froze for a second before lowering the visor of her helmet. Her stiff acting became naturally stiff.
Asia twirled around, her dark green dress flowing elegantly across the beach's sands. Her hair was braided at the sides and a small golden tiara decorated her head. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with joy. She chatted with Irina, Rias, and Issei. Not minding that the latter two were Devils, nor that Irina was an Angel. She just saw them as living beings.
Asia turned to Xenovia.
Xenovia prayed that she wouldn't realize that it was her.
"Xenovia-san, join us!" Asia's eyes held no malice. Despite the spiteful words that Xenovia spat at her. Despite Xenovia ignoring her for weeks. Despite almost killing her. Asia held no malice nor grudge against Xenovia.
Asia… she looked so beautiful. Xenovia let the small tears from her eyes flow down her face. Nobody could see her sadness behind the armor that she wore.
"I should just execute the witch," Xenovia recalled the words she said to Asia that day when she bumped into her back in Europe. Oh, how she regretted those words. "Just because you healed a Devil, doesn't make it good. Now die, witch."
Xenovia was the one in the wrong then. Asia was no witch. She had no evil in her heart. Maybe it was Xenovia herself that needed to reflect and repent? Could she still ask Asia for forgiveness? Would the other girl even forgive her?
Xenovia shook the doubts from her head. No. It looked like Asia had already forgiven her, even when Xenovia hasn't asked for forgiveness yet nor done anything to make up for the evil that Xenovia wished upon Asia.
Xenovia took one step forward towards Asia.
"If anybody dares hurt Asia…" Xenovia swore under her breath. "They better be prepared to see the Devil himself."