Classroom visits are here, among other things.
Made some edits to the previous chapters, nothing major, just consistency for the most part in the speech patterns of Grayfia and Kuroka.
It felt like not all that long ago that he'd woken up with his chest feeling wet.
Oh yeah, JB sometimes drooled when she slept.
That was fine though, that only happened when she was really relaxed, or drunk.
Since it was the first option in this case, he couldn't say he minded all that much.
She needed the rest, after all.
She always did.
Absently letting strands of hair slip through his fingers in a golden river, Yuuji stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom.
A few minutes later, a yawn drifted across his chest as JB stirred, lifting her head off his chest to blink in his direction a few times, before smiling and pushing herself upright.
With another yawn as she sat up, JB put her arms above her head and stretched, Yuuji watching appreciatively as it made her ample chest bounce, straining against the pink slip she was wearing.
… Come to think of it, this was kind of a novel experience.
Yuuji couldn't remember the last time they'd woken up in the same bed with neither one of them naked.
"Morning, JB."
"Hmm… good morning, Yuuji-kun."
"Sleep well?"
"Mmmm~, Yuuji-kun's chest is comfy as always."
"Thanks."
Of course, they hadn't done anything other than cuddle a bit last night.
Since she was here as his guardian, JB decided that them having sex would be inappropriate, and sighed rather loudly when that idea served only to make Yuuji confused.
She really had slept well though, so she was feeling rather appreciative.
... And perhaps she'd been feeling just a little lonely, but he didn't need to know that.
"Yuuji-kun? Yuria-san? Are you awake?"
Akeno's voice drifted softly into the room as her knuckles rapped gently on the door.
Yuuji looked to JB with one eyebrow raised.
Smiling, JB called out in response.
"Yep, we're awake, Akeno-chan! Come on in~."
At her prompting, a smiling black-haired beauty, already in her school uniform, quietly opened the door.
Her smile froze in its place as she blinked in disbelief, before her lovely face contorted into an expression of forlorn disappointment.
"...You mean you didn't?"
"Not even a little."
Yuuji supplied, helpfully.
JB's flawless cheeks slowly began to flush as the implications hit, Akeno letting out a long sigh.
"... She's not even naked."
"Don't worry Akeno, I was disappointed too."
"W-W-WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT!?"
"Shh… not everyone is awake yet."
Yuuji said, frowning slightly at JB, as if she was being the unreasonable one.
Smiling playfully, Akeno pressed a finger against her lips and winked.
"... There really are two of them, aren't there?"
JB whispered in the voice of total defeat.
Akeno giggled.
"We'll be going ahead then, Rias, we still need to meet up with Father."
"That would be for the best, I think, Onii-sama."
Rias replied.
"I'll stick with them, Yuuji-kun, I'd like to meet Ria-chan's father as well~."
JB chimed in from beside Grayfia.
"Sure. See you later then, JB."
"Ciao~."
With that cheerful farewell, JB, along with Sirzechs and Grayfia left the dormitory, leaving the students of the dorm room behind, Kalawarner leading the way, for now, since as a teacher, she needed to arrive early as well.
As the door shut, Rias allowed a grim expression to take hold.
"This is the day, then. Everyone be on their best behavior, and avoid making eye contact. Eye contact will only encourage them."
"Hoh? This sounds serious."
Xenovia said with a stern expression, Rias nodding firmly in response as Asia tilted her head in confusion.
Buchou sounded serious, the little Bishop thought… but didn't she look kind of excited?
As the rest of the group left the dorm, Akeno's merry, knowing laughter marked their passage.
Sirzechs, Grayfia and JB were waiting for them at the school gates, along with an older gentleman, dressed in an immaculate white suit, with neat, long hair and an expertly trimmed goatee, both of a very familiar shade of crimson.
Unsurprisingly, the adults were receiving more than a few admiring stares and whispers, as if a quartet of celebrities had appeared on campus.
Which wasn't entirely wrong.
"Hi hi, Yuuji-kun!"
JB waved cheerfully, her beaming smile only widening as dozens of heads whipped back and forth between staring at her, and her charge, in total shock.
"Long time no see, JB."
Yuuji responded, as they got closer.
Sirzechs, rather than immediately greet Rias as expected, instead let a rather blank gaze fall onto-
Koneko?
He blinked once, twice, before turning his head to find-
"Oh my."
Grayfia shifted her head towards the same direction, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Missing someone?"
Yuuji had seen the out-of-place movement from the corner of his eyes.
"Ah, yes, Kazami-sama. It appears we've been separated."
"Gotcha. Be right back then."
"K-Kazami-sama?"
Someone else, possibly several someone's called his name as Yuuji took off.
He didn't notice at all.
A mistake after all, huh?
She couldn't do it.
She'd caught one glimpse of that beloved white hair, and her nerves had failed her.
All that resolve, all the time she'd spent preparing herself, all the coaching from Lady Gremory and Grayfia-san, all so she wouldn't embarrass Shirone.
All for nothing.
The answer had made itself clear at the last possible second.
Kuroka had no right to stand in front of her sister.
Well, Grayfia was probably pretty angry, but that seal on her leg meant the Gremory maid was aware she hadn't gone all that far.
Damn.
Damn it all.
Well, at least she'd gotten to see Shirone, even for a brief few seconds.
Her precious little sister was doing so well.
The Gremory took better care of Shirone than she ever could.
She wasn't needed.
So, she would just stay out of the way.
It wouldn't be too hard, would it?
She had lots of practice hiding.
Lots of practice running away.
A tired sigh slipped free as Kuroka leaned against the wall, angling her head upwards to stare into the empty sky.
So absorbed was she, Kuroka almost didn't react in time.
An iron fist pierced the gymnasium wall like a spear, cracks radiating out from the impact like spiderwebs.
"... Ah, you dodged it."
The clatter of concrete hitting the ground accompanied the vaguely disappointed comment, the dark-haired Gremory Pawn yanking his metallic arm from the wall.
"W-what the hell are you doing, nyaa!?"
Kuroka managed to spit out, bewildered.
"Oh, I saw something that really pissed me off for some reason."
Came the monotone, faintly puzzled reply.
"What kind of reason is that!?"
Kuroka screeched, wild-eyed and ready to defend herself, ears no longer concealed and tails thrashing nervously behind her.
"You're her big sister, aren't you?"
It was like he'd swung again, and this time, he'd struck home.
That must have been why her gut lurched like that.
… The air was heavy with the scent of blood and iron, and far in the distance, she could hear the harsh grind of a sharp edge against a hard surface.
"... W-what's that got to do with you?"
"Oh, sorry. You reminded me of someone."
"... Who?"
"Doesn't matter, she's dead."
Kuroka flinched.
"... Then…"
"You're just going to run away, aren't you? You're just going to leave her behind and sneak away, and then you're going to pretend you did it for her, aren't you?"
"!"
A feral hiss filled the air, contrasting with the moisture in the woman's eyes.
"You bastard! What the hell do you know!? Do you think I wanted this!? Do you-"
"Shut your mouth, you useless coward."
Struck dumb by the venom in his tone, Kuroka's mouth fell open, and both her tails hit the dust.
"It's always the same, isn't it? Just doing whatever the hell you want, and pretending it's for the best. Acting like no one can live without you, and then vanishing without a word? What gives you the right!?"
Even as the boy's voice rose into a furious half-shout, and she cowered away those furious black eyes, Kuroka managed to whisper out in a trembling voice.
"W-who… who are you talking to?"
Yuuji's mouth snapped shut with a click.
A heavy stillness set in, pressing down upon them from every direction.
Eventually, he let out an aggrieved sigh, one hand squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"Forget that, never mind... I don't care anymore."
"... You were separated too, weren't you…?"
Yuuji glared at her for another long moment, before the blank mask slipped back into place as if it had never left.
"Yeah. Only, she'll never get the chance to come back and try again. Don't waste yours, idiot."
"... I'm sorry…"
A weak little meow slipped in at the end, as if that verbal tic had been forgotten until now.
"Am I really the one you should be telling that?"
"... No…"
He didn't respond, just stood there and stared.
Slowly, Kuroka stood upright and let out a long, deep breath.
"... Is it really…?"
"How the hell should I know?"
… She nearly fell over.
"W-what do you mean you don't know!? That's the part where you're supposed to be encouraging!"
"Timing is difficult."
Yuuji admitted, as if it was someone else's problem.
"You don't understand a woman's heart at all!"
Kuroka cried out in bitter protest, slumping like a puppet with its strings cut, feeling suddenly rather exhausted when in response, Yuuji just offered a rather careless shrug.
With little more than a whisper, her tails receded, and her catlike ears vanished in favor of a set of human ones.
Quietly, she brushed off the shoulders of the one-piece sweater dress she was wearing, adjusting her bra straps beneath and looking herself over.
Satisfied, Kuroka looked up, and, for the first time that day, smiled.
"... Yuuji-kun, right?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you."
"Sure."
"I'm ready now, I think."
"... Good. Run along then, I'll be right behind you."
Kuroka stared at him for a moment, golden eyes narrowing searchingly.
"Maybe it's not my place to say, Yuuji-kun… but I'm sure she's proud of you."
Yuuji's head twitched back a little, and his eyes widened just a touch.
"... That so?"
He replied, eventually.
"Nyaa~."
Kuroka responded immediately with a nod, some of the good cheer returning to her voice.
"Thanks, I think."
Kuroka shook her head with a smile.
Yuuji decided that expression suited her.
"No, don't mention it. I definitely owe you… more than you know."
"I see."
He didn't, but he'd at least succeeded in his task.
That was enough for now.
As Kuroka took another deep breath and set off, back towards the front of the school, one last sigh escaped his lips.
"Big sisters sure are difficult, aren't you?"
As what always seemed to be the case, the one he was asking…
Didn't answer back.
Weird.
Definitely weird.
They were being subtle about it, but the adults didn't seem to realize how sensitive she was to the gaze of others.
Sirzechs-san.
Grayfia-san.
Lord Gremory (he liked it when she called him Outo-san, but that was embarrassing, even in her head).
Every single one of them had divided their focus between whoever Yuuji-senpai had run off to find.
… And her.
It was making her a little nervous, if she was being honest.
Especially since Rias-nee-san, and Yuria-san seemed to be in on it.
Toujou Koneko might not have been showing it on her face, but this was really, really making her nervous.
Surreptitiously, she inched her way closer to Akeno-nee-san, using those curves she definitely wasn't jealous of as a shield.
Akeno wrapped one arm around her and pulled her in close, giving a mischievous little giggle as if it were her idea.
Nice save, Nee-san.
Hey, something had caught their eye.
Yuuji-senpai must be returning with whoever it was.
Pulling her face away from Akeno's side, she turned to see…
No.
No, it couldn't be.
There was no way, no way, it wasn't it couldn't nononono-
"... S-Shirone…?"
A weak little whisper slipped out from somewhere.
… Nee-sama?
Her Nee-sama, her Kuroka, was staring at her with fragile golden eyes torn straight from memory..
With a strange sound that even she couldn't understand, Koneko tucked herself behind Akeno, the taller girl gasping a little as Koneko's head dug into her back, and tiny fists clenched tight fistfuls of her shirt.
"S-Shirone… I.. I'm… please… I'm… so, so sorry… I… I c-can't-"
That beautiful, warm voice that she could remember so clearly, had loved so dearly, was on the verge of breaking.
What seemed like an eternity later, she managed to peek around the protective barrier that was Akeno, to see if Nee-sama really was there, and she really hadn't imagined it.
There she was.
The sister she'd adored more than anything.
The sister who'd abandoned her.
The sister who'd left her behind.
Who'd left her alone.
Swaying in an unseen breeze, as if she'd shatter with even a single false step.
A weak, hurting, desperate gaze that she couldn't seem to tear away from her little sister.
It still hurt.
It hurt so much.
"... Why…?"
Why couldn't she be angry?
Why did all the hurt, the loneliness, the fear…
In this moment...
Why didn't it matter at all?
She waited with bated breath.
One word was all it would take.
One word of rejection.
Even a simple glare would do it, and that was all it would take to break her apart.
Her precious Shirone had never had the chance after all, had she?
She had never had the chance to reject her face to face.
To hate her.
To fear her.
To turn her back on her.
That old, familiar sense of dread set in, and in response, Kuroka screwed her eyes tightly shut.
She wouldn't run.
She wanted to run.
She wanted Shirone to say something, anything.
She didn't want to hear it.
She needed to know.
She was afraid to know.
She just couldn't-
A merciless strike drove the breath from her lungs, but she kept her eyes shut tight.
... Ah, Shirone could do that too.
Shirone was strong now, and if Shirone wanted to hurt her, of course she would let her.
She couldn't even dream of raising a hand against her darling little sister, so if Shirone decided that this would end with her death, Kuroka would happily accept.
Being killed by Shirone didn't seem so bad.
Before she could take even a single breath, tiny arms encircled her waist with crushing force, and something pressed against her stomach.
No, this wasn't so bad at all-
Huh?
Golden eyes drifted open, and then widened like saucers in pure, utter disbelief.
Huh?
It didn't make sense.
She didn't get it.
Shirone had her arms wrapped around her.
Her precious little Shirone, her cherished little White Sound, was…
Hugging her?
No, no, no that didn't make sense, dreaming, she was dreaming, no way-
"S-Shirone…?"
Shaking arms lifted themselves of their own accord to wrap around the tiny form pressed tightly to her.
"... It's really you, isn't it?"
Who had spoken?
She didn't know.
She didn't care.
Shirone was in her arms once more.
They were together once more.
That was all that mattered.
All that would ever matter.
With a quiet sniffle, JB wound her way around the wailing girls, who had just collapsed to their knees.
Gently, slowly so as not to startle him, she wrapped her arms around the waist of her target, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
Her smile widened a touch when a teary-eyed Akeno, from across the way, shot her a grateful look, before a significantly more apprehensive gaze fell on JB's charge.
He really did work too hard, didn't he?
Gradually, the hug was returned in his awkward, wooden manner.
His dark eyes still fixed on the reunited siblings, and a sad, wistful little smile on his face.
"I'm not sure how that ended with me being scolded by Grayfia."
"That's because you stabbed school property, Yuuji-kun. Grayfia-san seems like the strict sort."
"Huh? 'Stabbed'? I didn't stab anything."
"... What do you mean? It seriously looked like someone put a light-spear or something in the wall. What were you trying to do, anyways?"
"Oh, that? I was just trying to punch her in the face."
"Y-Yuuji-kun! You're not supposed to punch girls in the- wait, what do you mean that was your fist!?"
"Ah, there's Sensei. Looks like class is starting."
"I- no, you know what, I give up."
Raynare said, slumping onto her desk.
Briefly, because the second her head hit said desk, she shivered from head to toe and sat up perfectly straight, eyes slightly wider than they had been a second ago.
Smiling from across the room, as if uninvolved, Kalawarner began the role call.
Somewhere from among the watching adults at the back of the room, an appreciative chuckle slipped out.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
At last, everything had fallen into place.
She, Kuroka, was dead, and residing in the closest thing to a happy afterlife one could have when one was a literal creature of Hell.
After all, where else would she be privileged to such wondrous sights?
Her darling little Shirone was, without a doubt, the cutest thing that had ever existed in the history of anything.
Ever.
The way she sat up straight in her cute little desk, the way she kept her tone of voice carefully level when she perfectly answered the teachers questions, the almost unnoticeable ( to anyone but her big sister) waver in her cute little voice as she tried not to be self-conscious around her Onee-sama.
Oh, it was just-
Kuroka did her best to suppress a squeal, either not noticing, or not caring, that the parents watching the class alongside her were enjoying watching her just as much as watching their children.
Oh!
Hehehe~.
Caught you, Shironyaa~.
That slight hint of red around the ears, her precious little Shirone was blushing!
Ah, this was too much.
If she wasn't already dead, Kuroka soon would be.
Likely from her heart melting from all the cuteness.
If she'd been able to see her little sisters face, she would have been shocked and indescribably happy to know that since entering the room, the smile had never once left Koneko's face, to the confusion of her peers.
A smile that she was the cause of.
Of course, it's not like everything had just fixed itself. This was the first step, no more, no less.
Yet, it was still a chance she'd never dreamed of having.
So maybe, just maybe, things were looking up.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
At last, everything had fallen into place.
She, Rias Gremory, was dead, and even for a literal being of Hell, there was something like eternal damnation awaiting her in the afterlife.
How else could this be happening?
They knew damn well that her hearing was better than a human's, so they must know that she could hear every whisper!
Seriously, what about her seated posture was so worthy of admiration!?
She knew she was cute but this was absurd!
Even Ane-sama was feeding into it, whose sick joke was it to call a bully like Grayfia an 'ice queen'!?
Akeno too, she hoped she pulled something with all the effort it took her traitorous Queen to keep the laughter in!
J-just because she loved them didn't mean she was okay with being teased all the time!
Hah, that was an easy question, did you see how smart your daughter is, Otou-sama!?
This was too much.
Seriously, Rias pretending that she wasn't excited to have her family watching was too cute.
She knew this was going to be a good day when she'd woken up cuddling with both Rias and Grayfia, but this was even better.
Her family embarrassed her every year, without fail, and Rias would squirm and protest and act like she was dreading the next occasion.
Then she would try her hardest not to preen every time her family praised her.
No, Rias was proud, and rightly so, but she was far from vain.
It was just that she was very much a daddy's girl, and a mommy's girl, and a big brother's girl, and a-
So yes, Rias looked forward to classroom visits every single year, even as she made her 'displeasure' known.
And every year she, Akeno, would cherish the sight of her closet tsundere of a best friend, doing her best not to act like she wasn't over the moon with all her loved ones fawning over her.
Every year, that adorable sight helped Akeno keep at bay the wishes that her parents were there to embarrass her.
She knew, deep down.
She'd always known, from the moment she began living with him.
That the man she owed her life to, the man she'd do anything to please, that Kazami Yuuji…
Was a total tsundere.
Ah geez, he was so cute!
This was the best thing ever!
Honestly, she didn't really understand 'classroom visits' all that well, since by her very nature, she, Raynare, had never had a chance to meet her Father (regardless of His status), and the closest she had to a mother was also her teacher, but now she thought they were amazing!
He'd 'ignored' JB the whole time he'd been in class, a tall order since, as he was seated the farthest row back and she was barely out of arm's length, but she could tell.
Yuuji-kun was totally, 100% aware of where JB was at all times, and he was being way more obvious about the fact that he was actually a good student!
Eeee!
Classroom visits were seriously the best!
She should have brought a camera so she could record the whole thing!
Ah!
JB had the same thought, but she actually brought the camera!
She definitely wasn't the only girl who would enjoy the many, many replays that would surely follow.
… JB was pretty amazing though, wasn't she?
She was even paying attention to her, Asia-chan, and Xen-chan as well, even if she'd hardly had any chance to speak with their newest addition.
She hardly knew any of them, really, but she was still doing her best to make them feel appreciated.
Now she understood why Yuuji loved her so much.
Anyways, Kala-chan's gaze seemed extra warm today, it was seriously making her blush!
Hmm, what was this?
Her cheeks were a little wet.
… Ah, she'd almost been having too much fun watching Yuuji-kun to notice.
She was Loved too, wasn't she?
Well, she already kind of knew that, but…
Reminders never hurt.
A truly daunting foe had appeared.
He'd let his guard down because of the classroom visits.
Tch, what a blunder-
"Yuuji-san, do you not like making sculptures?"
Innocent little Asia asked, cornering him further.
If he agreed, she'd take on that downtrodden, kicked-puppy look as if it was somehow her fault, and if he denied it, she'd be happy…
Until his lack of creativity came back around to bite him in the ass, and then when she saw the shapeless lump of modelling clay that would surely remain…
Asia would assume he'd just been trying to make her feel better, and then feel guilty about making him do that…
… She was the true strongest member of the household, wasn't she?
Perhaps Asia Argento was the true foe here.
If that was the case, then-
"Ah, don't worry about me, Asia, just thinking… say, Xenovia looks like she's having trouble making up her mind, maybe she could use a hand?"
Then a sacrifice was necessary.
… I heard that snicker, JB.
"Oh! Y-yes… I'll do my best!"
Cute little face scrunched up in determination, the petite blonde rounded on Xenovia…
Who really was having trouble, to be fair.
Having bought himself time with Xenovia's noble sacrifice, Yuuji stared blankly at the shapeless lump sitting on his desk.
His hand kind of hurt.
No, not hurt, exactly, but his right hand did kind of ache.
Almost like it was being squeezed, or constricted.
Hopefully that wasn't Akeno's enchantments acting up.
It wasn't the dead chill that signified the Arsenal Memoirs powers leaking out, which was good.
Now was not the time to sneak off with Akeno for any sort of 'ritual'.
Come to think of it, he hadn't told JB about that yet.
… He would get riiiight on that.
Wrapped up in his own thoughts about how to explain to JB the nature of something that always seemed to wind up more sexual than it should be, it took several minutes for Yuuji to notice.
His work had already started.
As his left hand kept the clay in place, his right hand kneaded and stretched of its own accord.
More than a little surprised, Yuuji stopped in place entirely…
Or at least tried.
His hands weren't listening.
So instead, Yuuji watched himself work, somewhat disturbed, but also curious.
He had no idea what he was making, after all.
He wasn't quite sure who was making it, either.
Try as he might, none of the false memories Yuuji could recall from the Arsenal included sculpting.
So perhaps, someone else was waking up.
…This was making his head hurt.
Well, no matter, it seems like at some point, he had finished-
That damn smile.
Loose, careless bangs framed the gently smirking face of the woman who had emerged from the clay, her high ponytail seeming to drift behind her in an unseen breeze.
She gave the impression of being tall, almost larger than life, despite the sculpture being just under a foot in height.
She was also gorgeous, full breasts and wide hips complimented by a tight, toned stomach and long, gracefully muscled legs, stretched out before her as she reclined against the rock he'd apparently seated her on.
Just the right blend of lean muscle and womanly curves, as if she was a world-class athlete who had shifted her ambitions to a modelling career.
Hehe, probably for the best she hadn't, really… she'd have driven a lot of women out of business.
Two different questions came in from different directions, interrupting his musings.
"... Is that Asako…?"
JB half-whispered from behind him, a little catch in her voice.
Meanwhile, Raynare, her attention caught by the noise, had a very different line of questioning in mind.
"Say, Yuuji-kun… why is she naked?"
Yuuji could only helplessly chuckle in response.
After all, he'd been asked those particular questions before.
… In that particular order.
Huh, being swept along by the crowd's excitement wasn't so bad, was it?
If you accounted for the fact that he hated crowds, noise, or being herded without clear instruction.
Or that it was lunch break, and this probably had nothing to do with food of any kind.
Yuuji decided he wouldn't sweat the small details.
He actually was curious about what was happening, after all.
The current of chattering bodies eventually swept its way into the gym, disgorging the young man into the gymnasium.
Pink.
There was a lot of pink.
Adorning a rather pretty young woman, who kind of made him think of a slightly older and way less mature Sona, smiling cheerfully as she danced and spun and waved to the crowd.
Yuuji wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or impressed that this... magical girl (?), past the sparkles, and the dancing, gave off a vibe similar to the literal Satan and the disaster-class maid wandering the halls.
So she was probably someone important, judging by her carefully contained aura of overwhelming might, and, more importantly, that flat, pleasantly stomach and pink underwear.
… That outfit was distracting in more ways than one.
Come to think of it, wasn't Sona…?
"What's all the commotion?"
"Nice timing, Sona."
Yuuji flashed the stern looking student council president a thumbs-up.
"That's Kaichou during school hours, Kazami-san."
Sona said, pushing up her glasses that didn't need to be pushed up.
The ominous glint of light reflecting from her lenses was probably magic.
Unbeknownst to Yuuji, the gymnasium had lapsed into a confused and somewhat chastised silence, shying away from Sona Sitri's piercing gaze as the magical girl…
Seemed to be extra sparkly.
Those blue eyes of hers were sparkling like jewels, and she seemed to be shaking with pent-up energy.
Sona met the magical girl's eyes as Yuuji began a mental countdown.
On cue-
"SO-TAN!"
"O-Onee-sama!?"
Suddenly the magical girl was airborne, in the midst of a huge leap that someone pretending to be human shouldn't be pulling off.
Of course, nobody noticed the pink comet sailing the length of Kuoh Academy's rather large gymnasium, because the eyes of every single human in the room had gone glassy and dull.
… Did she just hypnotize them in midair?
That was impressive, and... should probably step out of the flight path.
The two women collided in a suspiciously gentle fashion, that while seemingly safe still ended with a furiously blushing Sona pinned to the floor, underneath a cooing pink creature rubbing cheeks with her.
"Ah, there you are So-tan! Levia-tan was feeling super-duper extra lonely! Give Onee-chan lots of love!"
"A-ah! Onee-sama n-n-not in-front of-"
Two pairs of eyes looked up at him.
Kazami Yuuji liked to think he was someone that could read the room.
One hand promptly rose to cover his eyes.
"Don't mind me."
"K-Kazami-san you traitor!"
"Yay! Time to recharge my So-tan Power!"
"O-Onee-sama!?"
"Hey! Wait a second!"
Abruptly Yuuji found his vision cleared, as the supposedly glamered hand, that had been covering his eyes a second ago, was being held palm-up and scrutinized by the magical girl.
"...So-tan…"
Huh, that sounded kind of dangerous…
"Y-yes, Onee-sama?"
The flustered girl, still lying on the floor, must have noticed it too, for the hesitant quaver in her voice.
"Why didn't you tell me Ria-tan's new Pawn was a cyborg!?"
The magical girl wailed dramatically, waving Yuuji's metallic arm around for emphasis.
Sona's mouth opened and shut several times, for some reason without any accompanying sound.
… Yep, patience lost.
"Oi, you."
"Yes?"
The magical girl politely asked, halting her manhandling of his prosthetic and turning to regard Yuuji with a friendly, attentive sort of curiosity.
"Egeh!"
Letting out a strange sound as Yuuji's free hand was promptly used to flick her on the nose.
"That hurts, moron."
The shell-shocked magical girl recoiled, tears welling up into the corner of her eyes as both hand clapped over her stinging nose.
"K-Kazami-san! You can't just flick a Satan!"
"Just did."
"Wait, how did you even know!?"
"She called herself 'Levia-tan'?"
Yuuji responded, looking at Sona in puzzlement.
"I don't get it! That totally stings, are you the final boss!?"
The Satan complained, still clutching her nose with one hand and pointing the other in accusation.
"Secret boss, actually. Only available in the pre-order."
"Something like that was a pre-order bonus!? That's dirty!"
Leviathan protested in shock, 'injury' apparently forgotten.
"Sorry, lack of competition in the industry might be letting them get away with some unreasonable things."
"Are the developers the real villains!?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO EVEN TALKING ABOUT!?"
"Huh, you should pay more attention, So-tan. You'll make your sister sad if you ignore her like that, So-tan."
"Yeah, Levia-tan will seriously cry you know, So-tan!"
"That's not- DON'T CALL ME SO-TAN!"
"Huh, Devil society is complicated, isn't it?"
Yuuji stated, faint confusion coloring his otherwise blank expression.
"There there, you'll get the hang of it soon. No one will judge you too harshly in your first year."
Leviathan reassured him, patting Yuuji consolingly on the shoulder.
That friendly gesture had the unexpected side-effect of fraying through Sona's last nerve, because she promptly left to her feet with an odd series of quivers going through her body, and a hint of moisture at the corners of her eyes.
"ONEE-SAMA, YOU BULLY!"
With that, the wailing young girl, that Yuuji had never seen before in his life, turned on her heel and ran from the room.
"A-a-ah no! So-tan come back! Onee-chan is sorry!"
Leviathan cried after her, one hand outstretched to no avail.
Kazami Yuuji liked to think he was pretty good at reading the room.
That, and he believed in the prompt return of favors.
"There, there. I'm sure she won't stay mad for long."
Yuuji reassured Leviathan, patting her consolingly on the shoulder.
This, it seemed, was both the right move, and the worst possible action.
With a loud sniffle, the magical girl lifted her head up to him and flashed a dazzling smile, eyes glittering suspiciously once again.
"Kazami-kun right?"
"Call me Yuuji, if you'd like."
"Well, Yuuji-kun, nice to meet you! I'm Magical Girl Levia-tan, known in some circles as Serafall Leviathan, formerly Serafall Sitri."
Serafall finally introduced herself, offering a cheerful salute.
"Wasn't the order a little mixed up there?"
Yuuji enquired, faintly impressed by the polite greeting from the pink whirlwind of insanity before him.
"Don't sweat the small stuff, Yuuji-kun."
Serafall waver her hand dismissively.
"More importantly…"
This was going to be good.
"Does your robot arm have a rocket-fist!?"
"Oh, there you are Yuuji-kun."
"Oh, hello JB. Did you have fun chatting with Sensei?"
"Mhm, you're in good hands, I like her."
"That's nice to hear."
"So what were you doing in the gym anyways? I saw a crying girl running past, so I assumed it was your fault."
"... It's annoying that you think that, but you're not entirely wrong."
JB nodded her head empathetically, an odd sort of smug pride contained within her smile.
"Mainly I was future-proofing."
"Future-proofing?"
"Making connections and expanding my horizons."
"... Go on."
JB prompted, looking a little confused.
"Well, if things don't work out with Ichigaya, I have a career as a mysterious cyborg with a dark past."
"..."
"Just as a side character, but if the ratings are good I might qualify for my own spin-off. If I work hard, then you can be my manager if you feel like a career change."
"That's… a lot more normal than I expected, actually, so I'm just going to take pride as your guardian and not delve any further."
"Oh, in unrelated news, I met another Satan, and she's a wildly popular magical girl with a slight sister complex. She also does all her own stunts."
Yuuji's tone suggested that the last trait was the most noteworthy, but...
"... I left you alone for twenty minutes."
"That was your mistake, not mine."
"Twenty. Minutes."
Yuuji shrugged, and then found himself watching in no small amount of confusion as JB turned away and began slowly, methodically banging her head against the wall.
JB was strange that way.
After classroom visits, the members of the household, as well as the adults who had visited them during the day, had ended up back at the dormitory, sitting around a truly massive TV in the common room.
Yuuji and Kiba had dug it out from the third floor basement storage, after Sirzechs desire to take advantage of the first basement floor's amenities had been soundly rejected by Rias.
Hard to blame her, Yuuji felt.
Watching a recording of your school day in a private movie theater, worth more than the average Japanese household, seemed like a bit much.
Sirzechs and Zeoticus Gremory, as he'd introduced himself, seemed to immensely enjoy their recordings of Rias and Akeno in class, the ever adaptable JB easily joining in on the excitement, while a much more composed, but no less focused Grayfia sat by the Satan's side.
The next most excited was Suu, who didn't seem to have any idea what was going on, but people she liked were on the screen and people around her were happy, which was more than enough for the Slime.
Ruth was taking a nap, free from the chaos in a manner that only a dog could pull off.
Rias, for her part, looked like she was ready to ignore the negative side-effects and start praying, while Akeno would bounce between giggling when the focus was Rias, and blushing and squirming when the focus shifted to her.
Yuuji was rather enjoying things, until the video ended, and JB flashed a victorious smirk at him, when Grayfia rose from her seat to change the disks.
Then Hell opened wide it's hungering jaws, and Kazami Yuuji fell head-long into its eager, cruel embrace.
How had he failed to notice!?
When had JB pulled a camera!?
… And why were all the women suddenly so enthralled?
"Oh look at that little frown! You can tell he's seriously thinking about that one!"
Keep that glitter out of your eyes.
Sure, the focus wasn't all on him, as he was only one of five in his year, but still!
Well, at least he could share in the misery.
Kiba's thousand yard stare sought the illusion of salvation from a far distant horizon.
Asia would enthusiastically watch each and every highlight, blushing furiously when it became Yuuji's turn, and covering her face with a high-pitched squeal when it was hers.
Raynare, bewildered by the attention, had short-circuited and was currently sagged in the couch beside Kalawarner, who seemed to be having at least as much fun as JB, proudly watching her students in such flattering displays without a shred of her usual decorum.
"Ah, I was so proud! Ray-chan used to struggle with that topic, she studies so hard!"
Xenovia didn't seem to understand what was going on at all, but her red cheeks signified that she understood just enough to be embarrassed.
It's not like he could easily slip out either, as both Akeno and Rias had cunningly trapped him when their wits recovered, seizing control of an arm each.
This was horrible.
Humiliating.
Soul-crushing.
It was… kind of nice actually.
… He'd never been in a room with so many genuinely happy people, and actually been in any way able to call himself a part of it.
… Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.
He wondered how the sisters were doing.
They weren't doing very well.
H-how was she supposed to start!?
'Ah, sorry for running off on you Shirone, I didn't think I'd become one of the Underworld's most wanted when I left'?
No, deep breaths Kuroka, you're supposed to be the big sister here!
She inhaled softly, twin black tails thrashing on the seat behind her to betray her nerves, and-
"Nee-sama."
"Y-yes!?"
Ah, she stuttered! Shirone would think she was indecisive and hate her for it!
"... I'm glad you're okay…"
Kuroka's response died in her throat.
"I… I was really… scared when you got hurt..."
Oh, Shirone…
That sort of forlorn, haunted look had no business being worn by her precious little White Sound.
She really, really wished she'd had the strength to rip all the wings off that filthy crow.
"... I'm sorry I scared you, Shirone… but…"
A deep breath.
This was important, you coward. Don't mess this up.
"I'm not sorry I did it, I'm just sorry I couldn't protect you."
Shirone flinched a little, golden eyes widening.
Kuroka took another deep breath and prepared to push on, but Shirone's whisper wiped the thoughts from her head in an instant.
"Why would you… protect me?"
"S-Shirone…?"
She just loathed how weak her reply sounded.
"You already left me behind, why would you come back if you're just going to get hurt!?"
Oh, she understood now…
Shirone had been trying to forget.
For just a few short hours, she'd let their reunion be joyful, as if only time and distance had laid between them.
… Perhaps she didn't know her sister that well at all.
"Why Onee-sama!? Why did you come back!?"
Oh, your big sisters been working part-time as a terrorist, so you know, connections?
"S-Shirone, I…"
"No, Nee-sama, I don't care."
No.
No.
Nononopleaseno-
"Nee-sama, WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!?"
That desperate, wounded scream hit her with such force that Kuroka honestly thought she might have blacked out for a second.
Shirone had always, always been quiet.
She couldn't think of a single instance where she'd raised her voice.
It hurt, so, so much.
She couldn't take it.
Someone let slip a strangled sob, two pairs of golden eyes began to water.
"I COULDN'T TAKE YOU WITH ME!"
Shirone flinched.
"DO YOU THINK I WANTED TO LEAVE!? THE WHOLE UNDERWORLD WANTED ME DEAD, HOW COULD I KEEP YOU SAFE WHEN I COULD BARELY PROTECT MYSELF!?"
Shirone quivered.
"LEAVING YOU BEHIND WAS THE BEST HOPE I HAD! THEY WOULDN'T HAVE CARED HOW YOUNG YOU WERE, IF THEY TRACKED US DOWN THEY'D HAVE CALLED YOU AN ACCOMPLICE AND KILLED YOU!"
Shirone whimpered.
"YOU THINK I WANTED ANY OF THIS! YOU THINK I WAS GOING TO LET THAT BASTARD MAKE YOU HIS PLAYTHING!? NO FUCKING CHANCE I'D LET THAT SICK PIECE OF SHIT USE MY SHIRONE FOR HIS STUPID LITTLE SCIENCE PROJECT!"
Even past Kuroka's furious screams, Shirone's quiet voice reached her ears without fail.
"... Science project?"
Kuroka froze.
"... Ah… no… nevermind, I s-said too much."
… Koneko's eyes narrowed as her sister's ears fell flat against her head, eyes shifting nervously, trying to back-track and failing.
Like hell she was going to let that go.
Kuroka never saw it coming.
One minute, Shirone was sitting wide-eyed on her bed.
The next, the chair she was seated on cracked loudly against the wall as the strength of a Rook sent it tearing through the carpet, leaving the taller Nekoshou pinned against the wall, as thin arms sealed her into her seat like steel bars.
"S-Shirone…?"
She'd never been scared of her own sister.
… Was this what Shirone felt?
"No more games Nee-sama... no more lies. Why did you kill our master?"
"Y-you already know, don't you, nyaa? I-it was a hot topic a few years back."
"...Nee-sama…"
Shirone's eyes went cold.
"No… listen to me, please. They weren't wrong."
Shirone blinked in shock at the quiet admittance, jerking her head back a little.
"It's true that I lost control of my power… I… I don't remember killing him… I don't remember destroying his workshop… and I don't remember killing the team sent after me either."
Koneko shook her head furiously in denial, arms falling limply to her sides.
"B-but… no…"
Part of her, deep down had hoped that there was some secret reason that Kuroka had done what she'd done.
Some deep dark part of her had hoped that her beloved Nee-sama hadn't left her behind because she wanted to, she'd dreamed that one day, Kuroka would appear out of nowhere, her name cleared and their family restored.
A small, fragile piece of Toujou Koneko's heart had denied, with all its strength, the possibility that the awful things they'd said about her precious sister were true.
… She felt the lingering shards of her hope shatter.
"But I remember why… and I'd make that choice as many times as it takes."
Kuroka was standing then, looming over her much smaller sister with an eerie light in her golden eyes.
"He used us like science experiments, Shirone. Every single one of his peerage, our own efforts didn't interest him. He didn't want us to improve ourselves, he wanted to pick us apart and add in a few extras when he put the pieces back together. He experimented on us, drugs and needles and strange wires. He realized how much stronger I could be, how fast I was growing with only a little nudging, and he wondered…"
Kuroka's teeth bared in a savage snarl as her words came out in a low, feral hiss.
"If one Nekoshou had this much potential, how much stronger could another grow... if we started when she was only a child?"
Another whimper slipped from Koneko's mouth as she shuddered.
There was sickness in the air, the space around her sister writhing and thrashing as the power of a Nekoshou brought Kuroka's rage to life like a physical thing.
"You would have done it, too. Cute little Shirone, always so understanding, so eager to please. If he'd asked, you would have gone right along with it, and it would have torn you apart. It was only dumb luck that I overheard him."
Kuroka interrupted her own words to snarl like a beast, panting hard.
"He was planning to force your Senjutsu to awaken when you were only five! Your power would have shattered you, and even if you lived you would have been nothing more than a wild animal, or if you were lucky, bedridden in agony for the rest of your short, miserable life!"
"..Nee-sama… i-it…"
It hurt.
There was pressure in the air, crushing and battering her from every angle.
A nauseating, poisonous hatred.
Kuroka couldn't even see her anymore.
… But her words still got through.
The end of the story, the truth contained at the end of the book.
"That's why… you killed him… didn't you…? F-for… me?"
Koneko gagged, just barely managing to grit the words out before another bout of nausea hit.
Senjutsu was powered by emotions, used that as fuel to influence the world around it.
The only emotions that existed for Kuroka, in this moment, were hate and rage and fear.
Someone sensitive to, but with no skill in Senjutsu, someone like her, was helpless.
As if their thoughts had been in sync, Kuroka seemed to realize it too, as the oppressive air vanished like mist and Koneko let out a great, gasping breath, reeling away from her sister.
"S-Shirone..? What… what happened… what did I…"
The vicious, seething rage gave way to hesitant, fearful confusion as the older Nekoshou reached out weakly for her sister.
"No… no… nonono anything but this…"
Kuroka's hands slapped over her mouth to muffle the stuttering sob that slipped out, as in a mirror of her sisters earlier actions, she shook her head wildly, as if to dispel the vision before her.
Panicking, Kuroka's eyes latched onto the glass patio door of Koneko's room, and she spun on her heel and fled, aiming to smash through the glass and escape.
She made it a single step.
Tiny arms snapped around her waist, halting her momentum dead.
Not understanding, Kuroka struggled, reaching out-
"Nee-sama."
A weak little whisper froze her in place.
"L-let me go S-Shirone… I hurt you! Please, let me go… I can't… I didn't mean… I didn't want-"
"You didn't mean to."
"N-no! Of course not! Please, let me go, it's not safe!"
"I don't care."
Kuroka struggled again, in a feeble manner that didn't suit her at all.
"Please, I'm begging you!"
The arms tightened.
"No."
"SHIRONE!"
"NO! You don't get to run away again!"
"I-"
"I love you, Nee-sama."
It was Kuroka's turn to whimper.
"T-that's not fair… You say things like that... and I won't be able to…"
Tiny arms gave her another squeeze.
For a while, the siblings were still, frozen in that same awkward position.
Gradually a sigh slipped from Kuroka's lips, a far gentler sound than anything she'd uttered before.
"Okay, Shirone. That's enough."
Koneko pushed her head more tightly against Kuroka's back.
"I'm not going to leave, Shirone, let me go."
Kuroka's hands dropped onto Koneko's arms, flinching briefly as they contacted at first, as if afraid to touch, but then gently settling onto her sister's arms.
"... You promise?"
"Yeah."
Gradually, Koneko's grip began to loosen.
The second they'd loosened enough, Kuroka spun on her heels, facing her sister and wrapping one arm around her shoulders, as the other came to rest against the back of her head, rubbing soothingly.
"I'm sorry, my little Shirone. Nee-sama tries her best, but that nasty Devil messed up her head a little, nyaa. We can't stay together all the time yet, Nee-sama is still a criminal, but I promise that I won't disappear, no matter what. I'll live with the Gremory's as long as they'll let me, and maybe one day, we can be together again."
"... You promise?"
Koneko murmured against Kuroka's chest, hugging her in a far more loving fashion.
"I promise. Please, Shirone, if there's one thing you can always believe in, believe in this."
Kuroka carefully released her grip just a little, creating enough space so that their eyes could meet.
Warm golden eyes gazed deeply into Koneko's, accompanied by a smile she'd long since given up seeing anywhere but her fondest dreams.
"I will always love you, Shirone… nothing will ever change that, my dear little White Sound."
… After a moment, a sniffle cut through the silence, Kuroka smiling patiently as Koneko's shoulders began to shake.
Softly, she drew her little sister into her embrace once more, slowly guiding them both to a kneeling position, and then deftly sweeping up Koneko's legs to leaver her cradled in her lap.
Tenderly, she held onto Koneko as the dam broke for one last time, rocking gently as the little Rook cried her heart out.
This time, though, she knew that, at least between them, everything was truly alright.
They would be okay.
Quiet, too quiet.
It's not as if they hadn't been able to hear.
The estranged sisters hadn't exactly been quiet.
She'd almost intervened a few times, but surprisingly, it was Yuuji who had held her back every time, shaking his head slowly, even as his lips curled into a soundless snarl.
Now though, it was silent in the room.
It sounded like they'd finished making up, so now… surely it was fine?
Each and every one of Koneko's cries had cut deeply into her heart, the pain and worry was driving her crazy.
Yuuji's hand released her shoulder, and Rias had to restrain herself from breaking into a run.
Slowly, she reached the door handle, turned it, and eased it open.
The first thing to greet her eyes was a gentle smile, and a slender finger pressed across it in the universal gesture for silence.
Kuroka, sitting on the floor, gently cradling a sleeping Koneko, curled up in her lap.
Not trusting herself to even whisper, Rias gave a teary nod, and quietly closed the door.
"We'll stay one more night, if you don't mind."
Her brother softly suggested, standing just behind her.
She nodded quickly, and almost missed it.
With a far-away gaze, Yuuji whispered something under his breath, almost as if the words had never been intended to be voiced aloud.
"The distance shrank a bit, huh?... Good for them."
Intermingled with the relief in his soft mutter was just the faintest hint of jealousy.
"So, I hear you're in a relationship with my daughters."
"Depending on who you ask, you might be told that Akeno is in a relationship with me and one of your daughters."
Zeoticus Gremory threw back his head and laughed at Yuuji's blank rejoinder.
A bit more subdued in his mirth than his father, Sirzechs smile was just as genuine.
Grayfia, standing behind the couch where the two Gremory men were seated, merely allowed the corners of her lips to tug upwards a bit.
"That answer tells me you know them well… most outside the family aren't aware that the one more assertive with her affections is Akeno-chan."
"Hard to ignore, really."
"Ah, on a related note, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, Yuuji-kun. Thank you for keeping them safe. While it's regretful that your wounds were so severe, it's immensely reassuring to have someone so capable, and so willing to risk their safety, by the side of Rias and her peerage."
Zeoticus' expression grew stern, the kind of look Yuuji imagined a father would give when his words were expected to be heard and understood.
"But, I'll ask you to be mindful of that in the future. Regardless of how much, or how little, you value your own well-being, you would do well to remember that said well-being does not concern you alone."
"... Yeah. I'm figuring that out."
The trio of adults watched him carefully for a moment, before any sense of tension was erased by the relieved smile of the Gremory Patriarch.
"Good, good. We'll speak no more of it for now, then. More importantly, have you slept with my daughters yet?"
Grayfia didn't have time to express her shock at that blunt question, because Yuuji fired back with zero hesitation, even if inwardly he was once again surprised by the openness towards intimate pursuits that many Devils seemed to display.
"Obviously."
"K-Kazami-sama!?"
"Wait, you mean they haven't told you yet, Grayfia?"
Yuuji asked in honest surprise.
Grayfia recovered her composure with a quiet, long-suffering sigh.
"That is not the point, Kazami-sama. I was merely surprised you would respond so bluntly… which was foolish on my part, in hindsight."
"Yeah, a bit of a blunder there."
"I will be rather cross with you if you stare at me as if I am the strange one here, Kazami-sama."
"They get along well, don't they?"
Zeoticus commented mildly to a smiling Sirzechs, the two men watching the exchange with no small amount of amusement.
"They do, don't they?"
"Care to repeat yourself, Lucifer-sama? I'm not sure I heard you correctly."
Grayfia's eyes had gone cold.
"Ah… no, don't mind me."
"As you wish, Lucifer-sama."
Grayfia responded politely, returning her vision forward…
Yuuji just stared impassively.
"... Yes, Kazami-sama?"
"Well? Did they or didn't they?"
"... They did."
"That's reassuring. I was kind of worried you might have had a falling out or something."
"... What is it about your concern that is deeply, deeply aggravating?"
"Dunno, Grayfia, don't stare at me like I'm the strange one here."
Grayfia opened her mouth to respond, but when no words escaped the lips of the quietly shocked maid, she relented with a soft huff.
Yuuji wisely decided that now wasn't the best time to comment on how cute the gesture was.
"Haha, youth is charming as always, I see. Perhaps I'll ask the more important question now, if you don't mind, Yuuji-kun."
"Sure."
"How do you feel about them, about Rias, and Akeno?"
"You mean, am I in love with them?"
"Precisely."
"I... think so."
Yuuji responded with a small frown, staring at the carpet.
More than a little surprised, Sirzechs went to interject, but his father stopped him with a raised hand, carefully watching the dark-haired boy seated across from him.
Unseen by all, behind the two men, Grayfia's impassive expression softened just a touch, though why was anyone's guess.
"I mean… I don't want to be separate from them. I have the chance to live far longer than I ever imagined… and I want to spend all of it with them… isn't that…?"
Yuuji trailed off, something in his voice suggesting he wasn't quite asking those questions to anyone in particular.
He'd already told them that… hadn't he?
Why was he doubting now?
... Why was he hesitating?
"And will you protect them? Keep them safe, no matter the threat?"
"... No matter what."
"... Then I believe, Yuuji-kun, that the answer to my question is 'yes'."
Zeoticus suggested gently.
Yuuji lifted his head to blink mutely at him, as if he'd forgotten that he wasn't alone in the room.
"There is more to discuss, but I believe I've heard all I need to, for now. So I suppose the last thing I'll say for tonight is… welcome to the family, Yuuji."
Grayfia's breath caught in her throat as Yuuji flinched, just a little.
"... Yeah… thanks."
They left him alone, in the small basement lounge they'd commandeered for the purpose of their conversation.
He didn't move for quite some time.
"Harudera-sama?"
"Yeah, Grayfia-chan? How'd the interrogation go?"
"No problems to speak of… Gremory-sama has long since accepted the union, he simply wished to speak directly to Kazami-sama… who has not left the room, as far as I'm aware."
"Ah… say no more, I'll go check on him. Thanks for looking out for him, Grayfia-chan."
"You are most welcome."
Grayfia responded with a small bow, feeling confident that JB would be more than up to the task.
It seemed like a poor time to leave Yuuji alone… but she would leave such things to those who knew him best.
A knock at the door.
She all but flung herself from the bed, ignoring Akeno's giggle (who was actually just as excited as she was), and taking a brief second to compose herself before opening the door to greet-
"You're not Yuuji."
"That disappointment of yours cuts deeply, Ria-tan. Is this the rebellious phase?"
Sirzechs asked, reeling a bit as if wounded.
"..."
"... Well, nonetheless, I am not addressing you as your brother in this moment."
Rias straightened in surprise, Akeno dutifully slipping from the bed to take her proper place at her King's side.
Grayfia rose from her seat but stayed put otherwise, well aware of Sirzechs purpose.
"How may I be of service then, Lucifer-sama?"
"In light of your performance in the recent crisis, We have determined that you have displayed the necessary ability to remove the seal on your Bishop."
"Gasper!?"
Rias blurted out, caught off guard.
Akeno's eyes lit up in barely concealed excitement, her polite, formal smile widening minutely.
"Indeed. We have made the final decision to use Kuoh as our meeting place for the Three Factions Conference, and you would do well to have all of your servants prepared."
"Then, you are saying our presence is required, Lucifer-sama?"
"I am."
"May I inquire as to why?"
"With your struggles against Kokabiel serving the final catalyst for this meeting, We have decided that the testimony of those directly involved will be of value. Sona Sitri and her peerage will be requested as well, and we'll have you serve as the escort for Leviathan and I, alongside Grayfia."
"Understood. We will do our utmost to answer your expectations, Lucifer-sama."
Rias responded, with a confident smile on her lips.
"See that you do. Ah… and the two Fallen Angels, Raynare and Kalawarner, have been requested as well."
"... Should I be concerned?"
"Caution is fine, but I do not believe there is cause for alarm. They are being sought as an affected party, nothing more, and I'm sure the value the treaty has for them need not be said."
"Say no more, I will speak with them, then. Is there any other way I can be of service, Lucifer-sama?"
"No, I believe that will do, Rias. Have a good night."
Sirzechs shook his head, his usual carefree tone returning, along with his smile.
"Goodnight then, Onii-sama."
"Goodnight, Sirzechs-sama."
"You as well, Akeno-chan."
He and Grayfia exchanged simple nods, before the Satan went on his way, returning to his own room.
Closing the door, Rias let out a long sigh as Akeno touched a comforting hand to her back.
"Gasper, huh? Finally…"
"It's okay, Rias… you know he doesn't blame you."
Rias let out an explosive sigh.
"I know, I know… it's just been a long day… Koneko too. I'm happy for her, but that seriously stressed me out."
The exhausted siblings, when she'd last checked, had curled up in Koneko's bed together, years of tension draining gradually from their sleeping faces.
They were okay.
Her family was okay.
Now, it was her turn to unwind… so that tomorrow, she could be as strong as they needed her to be.
Rias and Akeno, in perfect sync, locked eyes and nodded once.
Then they turned on the carefully watching Grayfia with smirks on their lips and hands on their hips.
"Now that that's out of the way."
Rias began.
"Ara, Buchou, isn't Fia-chan overdressed?"
"I do believe she is, Akeno."
Rias nodded wisely.
"Should we offer our assistance, Buchou?"
"It would only be polite."
"... You girls…"
Grayfia began, eyes narrowed in wariness as the two girls approached with gleaming eyes.
There was nowhere for the Gremory maid to retreat to, however.
.
.
.
"Ah! A-Akeno, w-where are you touching!?"
In the fading light of day, Yuuji grinned up at the ceiling.
"Why are you smirking? So scary!"
JB exclaimed suspiciously, her head facing his on the pillow.
"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking that Rias might have forgotten that my room is directly above hers… and how good the hearing of a Devil is."
Yuri cuddles are good cuddles.
Bit more feelsy than anticipated, but I wanted to get things moving between the two kitty sisters a little (lot) earlier than in canon.
Kuroka, here, is a little more damaged and a little less stable, fitting the tone of the story. The whimsical stray we're familiar with is still there, she's just a little less firm in the act.
Yuuji now has a back-up career in showbiz, is that perhaps his true calling? Tune in next time to find out maybe.
Not gonna lie, I've been looking forward to writing dialogue between Yuuji and Serafall for a long time, so hope you enjoy as much as I did.
If you look back at this chapter and the others, you'll notice the sentence structure has changed a bit. After waffling back and forth for a while, I decided to bite the bullet and do what I want in a more consistent fashion.
Thus, going forward, the sentence structure will mimic that of the light novel.
PS: Almost a year has passed since I published this story, huh? Thanks to everyone who's read and stuck around, and anyone who might join the journey in the future.