A surprising bit of information turned out to be convenient for me- did anyone else know that Yuuji's dog canonically breathe fire?
Truthfully, it had puzzled her to no end, at first.
Why did they interest him so?
"Hm? I don't really know, Mother. Maybe it's because they're so small and helpless?"
Were those meant to be positive qualities?
"Well… you protected us when we were small and helpless, and I looked after my younger brothers and sisters when they were small and helpless…"
He made it sound as if he had stopped safeguarding his siblings, which was just as foolish as the idea of she herself being unwilling to come to her children's aid.
But those 'humans' were not family.
"That's true, Mother, but when I look at them struggling so hard, it kind of makes me imagine that they're like children. Children, who don't have any siblings or parents to look after them until they're all grown up. I don't really understand why I think that way, but whenever I do, it gets pretty hard to leave them alone."
… The humans did not understand how fortunate they were.
Of how their continued existence was owed entirely to how her son had witnessed their doom upon the horizon more than once.
Yet prowling the shadows was a great black beast that was heir to the flame and fangs of a dragon. Doom had yet to darken the humans' doorstep, not even once.
She wished to support her child in his endeavors, naturally, but…
It was galling beyond measure to know that he risked himself for a people that would flee in terror from the sight of him, rather than offer even a single word of gratitude for the lives they owed him.
"I know, Mother, but I don't mind. I'm doing this for my own satisfaction, in the end."
He was a thousand years too young to lie to his mother. He did not protect the humans because he wished for their gratitude.
… But that did not mean he did not wish for their acceptance.
Her brave and foolish son, her dear and precious-
… She felt it long before there was any evidence to support it.
That same undeniable sensation of a piece of her heart being carved away… a pain just as raw as that which she felt that day when those wretched 'heroes' cut their paltry glory from the corpse of her eldest son.
She found him at the edge of a great plain, miles upon smoldering miles of the 'noble dead' lying before those sightless red eyes.
… And the flames of a great pyre scorching his ebon fur blacker still.
Set ablaze by the very pitiful beings he had died in defense of.
She did not so much as touch them, as she alighted from the sky, yet flames were smothered, and weaker hearts failed beneath the measureless weight of her fury, and her grief.
WHY?
It was a desperate hope… that honesty would somehow spare and absolve them.
Yet that was what they clung to, as they confessed their sins to the mother whose heart they had torn from her breast.
… The efforts of her son had not gone unnoticed, it would seem.
And so a grand and mighty host, blessed by petty and righteous gods, had descended upon those wretched slaves to a wild god, those foul worshippers of the demon.
On one side, those who had blamed her son for defending them, for deciding of his own volition that their meager lives had some worth.
On the other, those noble souls who had taken it upon themselves to punish those blessed by others' kindness.
All because her son was a 'monster'.
All because her son had the dreadful misfortune of not being able to choose his mother.
It would have saved time if she had just struck down her little boy herself, for in the end, she was no less guilty.
And yet…
… Yet..
She had been punished, and rightly so, for not being at her son's side in his hour of need.
And yet what of the humans? Who would punish them?
Who… if not her?
Though she was not aware at the time, it was just what she needed- release.
And so her grief reached the heavens, where her tears fell back to earth as rain.
But no matter how great the storm, it could not drown out the heartbroken cries of a mother, of a Dragon who had lost her son.
And no matter how mighty the storm winds lashed the earth, they could not drive away the doom that would take wing that day.
Within a forest of endless gloom, a great pink eye opened wide, slitted pupil seeking and searching everywhere at once…
For something it would never once gaze upon again, no matter where it might look.
… He didn't have a lot to do, these days.
The local graveyards hadn't been that full to begin with, and anything that might have preyed upon lingering souls gave the town of Kuoh a wide berth- a welcome side benefit of the territory being under the protection of Devils.
Devils, who he had been happy to learn, didn't actually lay claim to the souls of the dead.
It would have been pretty awkward if his purpose and theirs were at odds, considering that he was a Familiar to one.
Well… he probably didn't have to worry about it anyways- one of the many reasons he'd liked Yuuji at first scent was probably because Yuuji had a deep respect for the dead, in his own roundabout, mildly caustic way.
Respect, and envy.
That second emotion was unnecessary for any living thing to have, so Ruth felt good to have a part in getting rid of it.
It was important to always be in control of the situation, or have a way out that you could use at any second if you weren't.
It was important to be ready for anything, or else you would be taken advantage of by someone else more ready.
… Except that she wasn't in control, she wasn't ready, and it felt really good for some reason!?
It had seemed like such a great idea at the time- she was 'new' in town and he wasn't, so he could show her around and she could impress upon him her many, many charms.
But it had all gone awry with a single phrase from her adorable sister.
"Have fun on your date, Nee-sama."
That was all it took, moments before she left arm-in-arm with Yuuji, for all her carefully laid plans to go up in smoke.
Kuroka had never been on a proper date.
Sure, she'd been on things that some might call dates, but those had all been an excuse for small men to parade around a hot piece of tail, or show that hot piece of tail why she should be thankful for their otherwise lacking company.
Well, she'd always gotten her own back in the end, but, still…
She had done some things she wasn't proud of, both in the name of survival, and because she needed 'connections' towards her goal of reviving the Nekoshou race.
She tried not to think of it, much, because about all it had really accomplished in the end was leaving her feeling dirty, both then and now.
But this… this was a new experience for her.
It said some tragic things about Kuroka's life, up to that point, that her suspicion that Yuuji wouldn't feel entitled to any 'favors' at the end of the date left her feeling so out of her depth.
Which left her with an arguably more pressing dilemma, at least in her mind; Kuroka had no idea what a normal young woman did on a date.
… Hey, those smelled kind of nice, and there were a few couples in line already, so…
When Kuroka casually pointed it out, Yuuji's glance towards it was strangely faraway.
"We meet again, destiny."
Kuroka wasn't exactly sure what 'crepes' and 'destiny' had in common, but the thought was forced from her mind when she discovered that the crepe tasted just as good as it smelled- they obviously knew what they were doing, since they hadn't taken any shortcuts with the cream.
She also liked Yuuji's crepe more than her own, which was strange since hers tasted better.
Kuroka probably hadn't figured out yet that she hadn't gotten nearly as close to the point of no return as she seemed to think.
At least that's how it seemed to Yuuji- he recognized that she was in some way 'like him', but not quite to the point where she felt like a kindred spirit.
Which was a note in her favor, really.
But she still had a certain girlish charm to her- that edge of curiosity and wonder that hinted that while she might have had to grow up too fast, she hadn't quite resigned herself to it.
Or maybe it was a cat thing.
Either way-
"You're really cute, aren't you?"
Kuroka's tails would have stood out completely on end from surprise, had they been exposed.
But she recovered with admirable grace from the out of nowhere comment, and gave him a sidelong little smirk.
"Stating the obvious, huh, Playboy-kun?"
"Some things bear repeating." Yuuji deadpanned back.
Kuroka, who had both hands on the aquarium glass, pushed herself off of it and wrapped herself around Yuuji's arm.
"Now c'mon, it's time for that dolphin show, right?" She smiled. "We're gonna ditch if it's too long though- all the fish are making me hungry."
"It's a good thing we're in Japan then."
"Mhm, nya~!"
It smelled great.
It was very fresh, and the preparation was exquisite and the Kuroka of a year ago would have never been able to afford it, but…
She just couldn't focus on the food!
"Ahahaha~ I can't believe you had a staring contest with a dolphin~!"
"I'm not the type to let a challenge go unanswered." Yuuji said with entirely too much gravity, sending the poor Nekoshou into another fit of giggles.
"Ahaha that poor handler~!" Poor girl had no idea what to do, Yuuji had stolen the show without even trying!
"Well, it's good you're having fun."
Kuroka's laughter slowly trickled off, her eyes a bit wide- though Yuuji couldn't see that, given her cheek was on the table.
Slowly she lifted herself from the table, blinking in confusion.
"... Yeah, yeah I am. Having fun, I mean."
Yuuji's expression softened ever so slightly.
It used to scare her a little when he looked at her like that- it felt like she had been exposed, like he could see right through to the real Kuroka.
… The reason he was one of two people in all the world that she could never quite get out of her head was, that, whatever those deep dark eyes saw, it didn't seem to bother him.
"Not as hard as it seems, right?"
"... Nya?"
"Ah, don't mind me, just talking to myself."
He wasn't, and they both knew it.
But she'd give him a pass because he was cute.
She had wanted the date to keep going, but she couldn't help the fact that she got a little drowsy after a good meal, especially since it had warmed up a bit.
"Ah, don't worry, we're not going far." Yuuji commented, steering her gently along. "This is the park I go for runs in, so I know it pretty well."
"Running? Sounds boring nya, but I bet Playboy-kun usually has company."
"Pretty often, yeah- though half the time it's my dog." Yuuji admitted. "Just because he walks himself is no excuse for me to slack off."
"How responsible, nya."
"Anyways, here we are."
'Here' was a small hill, more of a bump really, crowned by a tree with wide, low branches.
Deep-seated instincts informed Kuroka that it was the ideal spot for a catnap, and thus, she followed Yuuji's lead without question when he sat down with his back against the trunk.
Without so much as a word or glance his way, Kuroka put her head on Yuuji's lap and curled up against him.
It made it the perfect time to ask a question she usually wouldn't answer, but she didn't really mind.
"Hey, Kuroka?"
"Nya?"
"I've heard it a few times, but… why the interest in rebuilding your race?"
Kuroka gave a long sigh, nestling in just a bit closer as she gazed towards something far away.
"... There's only two of us, as far as I know."
A hand gently rested itself upon her head, running itself lightly through her hair.
"And I'm… at least I was a wanted criminal."
She was sleepy, and he was good with his hands.
"Odds seemed pretty good that I'd end up dead in a ditch, sooner or later."
That was the excuse she gave herself.
"And we're orphans already."
For ridding herself of something she'd carried for far, far too long.
"It would be too sad if Shirone was both the last of her family and her species."
"... Yeah, I guess it would." He eventually said.
"But she's not the only one who'd prefer you stick around."
He really was good with his hands, and she really was tired.
That was the excuse she gave herself, for falling asleep without another word.
Careful fingers ran their way through the hair of the slumbering, smiling cat girl for a long while after.
Kuroka might have gotten a little too comfy, so Yuuji had quietly brought her home- it was a fair distance, but he could have pulled it off without issue when he was human, so the trip was hardly worth mentioning.
The sisters, it seemed, had acted in solidarity- Koneko was asleep in the common room, though it was obviously Gasper's lap she had chosen as a headrest.
Gasper looked up from the TV and flashed him a little grin; Yuuji winked back, and jerked his head towards the staircase.
Nodding, Gasper carefully scooped up the slumbering kitten-girl and followed along.
They left the two Nekoshou sisters curled up in bed beside one another, and quietly slipped from the room.
Right as the door closed, a pair of gentle, pleasant yawns drifted through the crack as the siblings snuggled in closer, the black cat naturally wrapping her arms around the white as the white cat snuggled closer.
"Good work today, Yuuji-senpai."
"You too, Gasper."
The next day, after he returned home from school she practically dragged Yuuji up onto the rooftop of the dorm.
Her date with him had been wonderful- Kuroka could freely admit to herself that she was going to cherish the events of the previous day for the rest of her life.
But Yuuji had been a perfect gentleman, in the sense that he hadn't laid a hand on her without asking.
… She would have definitely let him if he had asked, but he didn't ask at all.
Yuuji had been too much of a gentleman, to the point that Kuroka had been left doubting whether or not he wanted her as a woman at all.
He offered his arm but didn't wrap it around her waist while they were walking around.
He didn't cop a feel, or hug her and then let his hands stray.
He didn't even try to kiss her.
Sure, he'd played with her hair and stroked her head a bit while she was catnapping in his lap, but anyone with hands would do that, it was just how things worked.
He'd treated her so… respectfully!
Which was why she didn't know why she was mad at him at all, or what she was going to say the moment she slammed the rooftop door and had him against the wall, claws digging into the concrete on either side of his head as she glared at him, breathing hard.
"You didn't kiss me even once! Do you want me or not!?" One part of Kuroka's brain was complaining she would come across as desperate with lines like that, the other, sillier half was applauding how she'd gotten straight to the point.
And then it was her back against the wall, and something primal in her stirred as her instincts warred between challenge and submission.
Yuuji didn't say a word.
He wasn't even touching her.
The scale began tipping towards 'submission' when she came to accept that he could keep her pinned down with gaze alone.
And that damn smirk told her he was well aware of what was happening.
Kuroka felt the heat rise, and Yuuji continued to smirk.
Kuroka began to squirm, and Yuuji continued to smirk.
Kuroka opened her mouth, and Yuuji sealed it with his.
Yuuji used the weight and strength of his body to pin her against the wall in earnest, and Kuroka just purred.
"Do you think they're alright up there?" Asia innocently fretted. "They've been gone an awfully long while."
"Don't worry, Asia-senpai," a quiet voice assured her. "Nee-sama is just silly."
If Asia was being honest, she didn't really understand the answer at all, but Koneko seemed quite confident and it was about her sister, so surely it must be fine?
As the need for air became pressing, Kuroka broke away with a gasp, thankful for the added support of the wall against her back.
And for how sturdy Yuuji was, since she felt very steady with all four limbs wrapped around him, even if he hadn't been holding her off the ground as well.
"Believe me yet?" Yuuji blandly quipped, being his usual unreasonable self by somehow being less out of breath than she was.
"Hmm… I suppose," Kuroka teasingly hedged, though her gaze and her next words gave her away, "but why'd you wait? I gave you plenty of chance on our date, y'knyow."
"No need to rush things, right?" Yuuji shrugged, "I thought I'd let you control the pace."
Golden eyes blinked several times in rapid succession.
… Did he not… did he not realize what he was saying?
…
… He didn't, did he?
Kuroka carefully gazed into Yuuji's black and dull eyes, and belatedly saw the same thing that other women (several of which were in the building beneath them) had seen- that curious and strangely hopeless sense of innocence that Yuuji carried without the slightest bit of self-awareness.
Kuroka nodded several times in quick succession, ignoring the puzzled tilt of his head.
In her mind, he had mentally become a little more adjacent to Shirone, and Kuroka had just accepted that no matter how strong and reliable Yuuji might seem, she was going to have to look after him for the rest of her life.
It was a thought that, at some level, literally every woman to have ever been in a committed relationship with Yuuji had thought to herself.
Kuroka had just become a part of the last of several unifying factors within the harem.
"I feel like I'm being made fun of, somehow."
"If you have time to feel you should use it to feel me, nya."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm, mhm- hyaanh!? H-how did you even!?" Okay, so her underwear didn't cover a lot, but it at least covered something!
Yuuji took one hand off her to dangle a bit of flimsy fabric in the air.
… That he'd somehow stripped her of without her knowledge, and without damaging it.
"I have my ways."
Four svelte limbs pulled the two of them even more tightly together, as if to do away entirely with the boundary between one body and the next.
"You do, do you~?" Kuroka's throaty purr tickled his ear. "Then show me more."
It had been a while, she supposed, and though it wasn't like she didn't know exactly how things were going to end in the first place, Koneko's reaction made it quite obvious that the situation had changed.
The girl's petite little nostrils had flared ever so slightly, and then she had begun to fidget and turn very, very red.
"Intervention." It had sounded more like a plea than an explanation, and knowing exactly what she meant was why Akeno was currently at the top of the tallest staircase in the dormitory.
Smiling gently, Akeno drew a sigil on the inner face of the door, masking what was happening on the other side of it with a final, silent whisper of "have fun you two".
Something about the big gray blanket he'd laid her on was making Kuroka feel just the slightest bit on edge, but that was easily forgotten as Yuuji stripped her with an ease that could almost be mistaken for magic.
Clad in nothing but the warmth of the sun and the faint breeze caressing her skin, Kuroka stretched herself out beneath him, letting her eyes drift lightly shut as she inhaled gently through her nose.
Oh yes, there was no doubt that he wanted her now.
Kuroka licked her lips in a subtle and sultry sign of anticipation, her back arching to give just a little bit of a better view as she reveled in the way she could feel exactly where his gaze fell, even with her eyes still shut.
Those same eyes then snapped open wide and then fluttered back shut as a throaty moan thrummed through her.
That hot gaze had zeroed in on its target, but the owner of that gaze was taking his time getting there, starting low and kissing a tingling trail up her body.
Her head pressed into the blanket as she threw it back, a startled and aroused cry escaping as Yuuji gave her a teasing little love bite, as if just making sure that she was still paying attention.
There wasn't any time or luxury to offer a response though, because in the next heartbeat he'd found his way to her breasts.
As his lips found one, Kuroka's other boob became proof of how good Yuuji was with his hands- even though his big palm seemed small atop the swell of her breast, his fingers seemed to know exactly where they should be.
Wet with saliva and stiffened from being thoroughly toyed with, her tits were left cold without Yuuji's attention, but she didn't get to feel that way for long- they flattened against his rocky bare chest as Yuuji laid down on top of her, their faces inches apart.
This time, it was Kuroka who closed the distance, purring happily as their tongues greeted on the way into each other's mouths.
It was far from the first time her naked body had been covered and pinned, but… this time felt different.
Even with how exposed to the open air they were, Yuuji's body felt like a barrier, shielding her from everything until even the wind felt distant.
That her eyes stung a little was an annoying little imperfection in how good she was feeling everywhere else.
Yuuji broke the kiss, and smiled down at her.
"... Shut up."
Yuuji said nothing, but those gentle dark eyes were holding in their laughter.
"... I've spent weeks worrying about things that you don't care about at all." She didn't know if she was asking a question or giving an explanation.
"... I don't even remember half their faces." That excuse sounded just as shoddy when he said it out loud.
"... It really doesn't bother you? I'm…" she should probably shut up before she said any more- "Damaged. Damaged and dirty."
And maybe a little deranged, to top it off.
"Probably."
"... Y'know, you could have at least tried denying it, nya."
"Sounds bothersome."
"Maybe I'm just a bothersome girl, nya."
"Probably."
Kuroka's pout made her look younger than usual.
"Mostly I'm just thinking that I have more work to do if you still remember half."
The way he had her pinned down took on a possessive, predatory edge, and brought the heat back with a vengeance as he leaned in to growl in her ear.
"But when I'm done, the only one left in your mind will be me."
Kuroka had heard words like that before.
… This was the first time she'd believed them.
Yuuji didn't resist in the least when Kuroka came down from her high, and rolled the two of them over so she could take top.
Instead he just lifted his hands, and Kuroka smirked down at him as she linked fingers and got to swinging her hips, riding him cowgirl.
You could learn a lot about a man when the woman was on top, and the first thing Kuroka learned was that Yuuji appreciated the view as his length swelled inside her.
It wasn't like he was dead-fish either as she led the pace, having no trouble moving his hips up to meet her so that every time he hilted, he hilted deep.
Kuroka threw her head back with a wild cry as he hit just the right spot, and hauled him up to a sitting position, planting her feet as she straddled his lap and latched her lips onto his collarbone.
That got a reaction out of him, and Kuroka felt a thrill of satisfaction as she discovered one of the things that really turned him on and took full advantage.
Yuuji grit his teeth as he filled her with his seed, and Kuroka moaned, both from the heat and the victory high.
He'd given her a good ride through the first and the second round, and he'd been just as good as she'd hoped, but naturally, there was only so long he could… keep… up… for?
Kuroka pulled her upper body away just enough so that she could look Yuuji full in the face.
"Why are you still hard!? Are you an Incubus!?"
"Those are real?"
"And one's right here!"
"I see," Yuuji said, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Then even with how she could still feel his pounding heartbeat with only her breasts touching his chest, Yuuji effortlessly stood straight up, despite how she was still on his lap (and his dick). One hand on her back and the other supporting her butt from below, Yuuji quite casually turned around and moved towards the wall, carefully positioning Kuroka's back against it.
"My turn, right?"
"You really aren't human, are you?"
"Now you're just stating the obvious."
Kuroka's only response was another moan as Yuuji began thrusting.
She… hadn't been ready for this at all.
It felt like she had been saying that a lot that day… and night, it was night now, but…
Yuuji was still going strong.
Kuroka had no idea guys could last that long, and she kind of wanted to see how long he (and she) could really keep going, but…
She placed her hands on Yuuji's chest and put a little pressure against it, not enough to move him, but enough to get his attention and hopefully pause.
… Which he did.
Yuuji stopped in an instant, just like every other time he'd noticed her starting to feel uncomfortable.
He probably didn't think that was anything special, and maybe it shouldn't have been, but it meant a lot to her.
"Your poor kit kat is getting a little sore, nya," she whispered tenderly as she stared up at him.
"Want to call it quits for now?" No judgment, no pressure, just a simple and honest question.
He probably didn't think that was anything special, either.
Kuroka shook her head softly.
Reaching up, she gently cupped his face and smiled.
"No, just… gently?"
"Of course."
The distance between her lips and his slowly vanished down to nothing, and she slowly twined all four limbs around his lean frame.
When Yuuji started to move with her, into her, once more, Kuroka easily accepted what should have been an earth-shattering revelation.
There was no denying that she'd fallen in love for the first time.
"I've been tamed, nya."
That was the 'explanation' Akeno received in the bath.
"Ara? Well, don't feel bad if he offers you a collar, the ones he picks are very comfortable."
"Speaking from experience?"
"Happily."
Kuroka filed that information away for future reference.
"Not really used to sharing, but…" her voice dropped in volume just a little. "But I don't want Yuuji-nyan to resent me, so I'll behave."
"Unless being naughty is more appropriate?" Akeno smirked.
"You catch on quick, Akenyan."
"That's the first time I've been called- ara?"
Without even a splash, Kuroka had moved suddenly, swinging her leg over to seat herself on Akeno's lap, hands gripping the edge on either side of Akeno's shoulders, and golden eyes gleaming with sultry promise in the soft light.
"Speaking of sharing…" Kuroka's smirk widened as Akeno's hands quite casually cupped her hips, the gorgeous Queen meeting her gaze with equal interest. "Playboy-kun told me he didn't mind if I had a taste of his other girls… and the Gremory isn't the only one I'd like to nibble on."
"Is that so~?" Akeno smiled, letting her hands drift back and forth, just a little. "Well, we wouldn't want you to go hungry, now would we?"
That little exchange was all it took for the two dark-haired beauties to decide that they were going to get along just great.
However, in regards to Akeno, there was someone with a prior claim who would be looking to cash in, much sooner than she might have expected.
Usually when Yuuji asked to speak with her after class, it often ended up being something mildly outrageous and very amusing-
"Sensei, I need advice on what to do on a date with a hot young teacher."
… And today would be no exception, it seemed.
"Rossweisse?"
"If you've got the goods on her then I wouldn't complain," Yuuji admitted, "but I was talking about you."
"A date… me?" Kalawarner blinked.
"Not interested?"
"Of course I am," Kalawarner shook her head with a smile. "You just caught me by surprise, that is all."
"We did kinda skip a step, but no reason we can't circle back, right?"
"Far be it for me to argue," Kalawarner agreed. "Ddi you have a time in mind?"
"After the half day, but you should get extra sleep the night before, if possible."
Kalawarner's smile widened briefly before nodding, curiosity stirred by the prospect of why she might need extra rest before their outing together.
"And I actually do have ideas, but I thought you'd like it if we talked things over."
Another nod- Kalawarner didn't mind surprises when it came to that sort of thing, but she also preferred a bit of structure in her day.
"It doesn't need to be anything complicated," Yuuji nodded along with her words, "take me to a nice cafe or quiet restaurant, walk with me somewhere scenic, ravage me in a semi-public setting, that sort of thing."
"One of those things is not like the other." Yuuji drily remarked.
"Ufufu~ well, I am a Fallen Angel, after all," Kalawarner's formal tone turned sensual, and she took a hold of Yuuji's tie, slowly reeling him in to lean over the desk. "Devils aren't the only ones who lead men to sin."
Six black wings shielded them from prying eyes as she took a brief moment to show exactly what she meant by that.
"W-wait, let's talk about this-!" A futile plea was cut short by a single trigger pull.
"Clear." With Ruth on standby, Yuuji began checking the bodies one by one.
More company than expected, it would seem that a few extra guests had turned up for 'poker night'.
However…
"One of the guests of honor is missing." Yuuji informed. "Ruth, do you… hear anything?"
Usually it would be 'smell', but Ruth's nose had been bothering him since the night before.
Asia couldn't find anything wrong with him, but Ruth had had a burning sensation in his nose for over twenty four hours and counting.
Even with his greatest sense out of commission, though, Ichigaya's newest 'working dog' was a valuable asset.
Which was why when they found the last 'player', the man who thought he'd gotten the drop on the man and dog who had butchered all of his associates, that man was a step behind Yuuji.
… Which made him two steps behind Ruth.
The last sight he witnessed upon Earth were the great open jaws of a night-black wolfhound, and an early glimpse at the fires of Hell.
…
…
"... Since when could you breathe fire?"
{"Since now, I guess. Also, this house is made of wood, so…"}
A dull gray fire extinguisher sprung to life in Yuuji's hands.
"... Does your nose at least feel better?"
{"Yeah, actually, I feel great."}
It wasn't the strangest thing Yuuji had seen in the dark of night, so it didn't register much beyond having another tool in their shared toolbox.
There was no possible way for him to know that his dog's new 'discovery' would cause a chain reaction that nearly drowned a forest older than Kuoh itself.
And he had no way of knowing what the scream of a Dragon sounded like.
… Mother was having a nightmare.
Perhaps had they belonged to a smaller, frailer race it would have been an unpleasant, but easily remedied ordeal.
But Basmu's mother was the Chaos Karma Dragon herself.
Those smaller, frailer races would have (and in the past had) viewed Tiamat's nightmares as natural disasters- and as the rain bit like dragon's teeth and the storm winds howled in Mother's voice, Basmu was inclined to agree.
The only saving grace was that the rain remained 'ordinary' for the time being- Basmu herself might have been spared the hunger of the Primordial Waters, for no matter how lost in Mamu's realm she might have been, Mother would not harm her children.
But the rest of the Familiar Forest had no such protection, and while Basmu might be able to shield the little ones huddled beneath her, it would be a small mercy if their home was devoured around them.
If the Forest even lasted that long.
["Mother, Mother you have to wake up!"]
Basmu could quite easily jolt Tiamat out of her fitful thrashing if she were willing to lash out at her, but if she did, Tiamat would know.
And even if she would not begrudge her child for doing so, the knowledge that she herself had been deemed a 'threat' by her last remaining daughter, even for an instant, would break her heart.
She could not, would not do that to her mother.
Basmu would cheerfully tear her own throat out first.
So it did not matter how Satooji carried on, there was nothing she could do- only another child of Tiamat could upturn the situation, and with her the last, Basmu's only option left was to shield those in her care until Mother snapped out of it, until her voice made it through.
If she so much as moved, someone would die.
If only she had had but one other to call upon.
Herself and Mother had tracked her siblings through countless of their lives, but Mother kept her distance, watching over them from afar but never growing too close.
Doing what she could to protect them in secret without sacrificing more of her own tattered heart.
At some point, Mother had given up doing even that- connecting with Ruth had been an accident, and the final straw.
For while Ruth was quite dear to them, and he cared for them in turn, it was, much as they wished otherwise, an entirely new bond.
Worn down by countless misfortunes over the ages, the cherished soul of the Howling One was no more.
Uridimmu had been lost to eternity.
She could not risk calling upon him- if Mother did not properly recognize him, he would never reach her alive.
Which was precisely why it took her several long seconds to process what had just happened.
Why her eyes drank in the sight of that ebon fur and yet could not make sense of what they were seeing.
… His figure was out of place to the point of absurdity.
Within an ancient forest submerged as if the Great Flood was upon them once more, upon the snout of a great serpent far older than the trees themselves, stood a single black hound, storm winds whipping at his fur and raindrops falling upon his head.
["... Brother?"]
{"I think you have me confused for someone else."}
No, no she did not, and his words made her want to cry because of it; but for the life of her, Basmu couldn't decide if it was from sorrow or joy.
Lost, lost, lost, lost, lost-
Taken, taken, taken-
Give them back.
Give me back my children.
Why must you continue to take from me?
We were never your enemies until you made us so.
Storm winds raged, and the furious winds sounded both like the roaring of a wounded beast, and the cries of a mother who had lost her children.
It did not matter how many times she found them again- what was lost could never be wholly reclaimed, and what remained of them through countless lives slowly dwindled until it was gone.
Leaving behind a mother who would always recognize the echoes of her children, no matter how they faded- no matter how they looked to her as a stranger.
Left behind, left behind, always left behind- what meaning did the power of a dragon carry if it could not preserve even those small shadows beneath her wings?
What purpose was there to any of it, if-
{"Would you calm down already?'"}
Millennia of grief eased their death grip but for a moment, as a familiar heat washed against her scales.
Like the sun rising in the dead of night.
Ruth thought, not for the first time, that he had a pretty good Master.
They'd probably get scolded for not following up properly, but when their work for the night had done, something had stung him, like sticking his nose in a thorn bush.
Yuuji hadn't questioned, hadn't asked for clarification, he'd whipped out his phone and told JB "I'll have the report on your desk" and let Ruth wrap his tail around his waist, before yanking them both into the Dark.
They'd leapt into the Familiar Forest, and that prickly feeling had been justified- something was obviously wrong if the sky was trying to drown the forest.
Especially if the rain smelled like her, and the whipping winds sounded like her- the Dragon who was supposed to shield the Forest beneath her wings.
He'd been more than a little annoyed when he saw Tiamat thrashing around like she was having a tantrum, but those wide open eyes weren't seeing anything at all, and…
That tinge of grief that made her so hard to leave alone, usually a subtle scent, was so thick Ruth could imagine taking a bite out of it.
But with all the 'noise' Tiamat wasn't hearing his inner or outer voice- why did Basmu seem so convinced he'd be able to do something about it?
No point barking or howling, even if he bit her right on the snout she wouldn't feel it… maybe he should have borrowed something explosive from Yuuji, but his Master was running rescue duty.
He needed something loud or… flashy?
It was fortunate that Ruth was a dog.
Had someone like Yuuji or Rias stumbled across a 'new ability' then they would have needed practice to reliably bring it forth.
Ruth had no such issues. He could either do it or he couldn't- a beast need not 'practice' being a beast.
{"Well, I probably couldn't hurt you even if I tried, so…"}
The darkness swelled as the Hound of the Threshold rose to its greatest height, and opened wide its ebon jaws.
The night seared away as its howl lit the sky ablaze.
The storm winds recoiled as their mistress was bathed in ancient flame.
And though the flames washed from her scales as easily as the rain, that burning light left the cruel and bitter dreams of the Dragon as ashes upon the wind.
["... Uri? … Uri is that… is that you? Oh… my sweet little Uri, forgive me, but your Mother had the most terrible dream… hehe… you must think me such a silly old serpent."]
Ruth breathed a sigh of relief as the talons groping his way shrunk by several orders of magnitude, leaving behind a woman with horns jutting from her pale blue locks, thin dress clinging to her slender form as she stumbled towards him on unsteady bare feet.
Ruth shifted into human and stepped forward, catching her as she fell.
"... Oh, Uri… it really is you, isn't it?" A pale hand caressed his cheek, and Ruth cupped his darker, larger hand around it.
"Sorry, but I think you're still waking up." He murmured softly. "It's just me, Ruth."
Dull pink eyes snapped into focus, and a body that seemed far more flimsy than he remembered shivered in his arms.
The Chaos Karma Dragon herself burst into tears and buried her face in his chest, and Ruth was forced to accept that yes, he really was out of his depth.
… But at least the rain had stopped.
She probably didn't realize that they had an audience- when he met Yuuji's eyes, all his Master could do was shrug.
But something in those dark eyes inspired confidence. Yes, Ruth was being left to his own devices, but Yuuji didn't seem to think that that was unreasonable, in the current circumstances.
Pale skin streaked with tears, Tiamat lifted her head to get a better look at him, quivering hands cupping both his cheeks.
"Ruth…? When did you get here?"
"I never imagined I could spit fire in someone's face and not have them notice."
Tiamat flinched.
"... Y-you're… not him, are you?"
"No. I'm not your son." That was the only kind of relationship it made sense for that 'Uri' to have with Tiamat.
But he was not Uri… he was Ruth.
A Grim could not allow the living to keep chasing the dead.
"Ah… no… silly me, I must still be half asleep." A weak little laugh came from a woman he'd never seen be weak in any way.
It made him… angry.
Something about Tiamat crying felt like a crime against the world itself, even worse than the dishonor of the dead he'd been born to protect against.
"But you've been treating me like him all along, haven't you?" Like the predator he was, the Grim cornered his prey.
Tiamat's mouth opened and closed without sound, and her hands fell from his face as she wilted like a flower in trying to bloom in the dead of winter.
Basmu was crying too and trying to be quiet about it, and that made the sense of wrongness grow.
"Well, if you're going to treat me like your son then I'm going to need a few pointers," Ruth calmly explained. "I only know how to be a big brother."
Tiamat flinched again, but when she did, the light slowly returned to her widening eyes.
"I can't be Uri," Ruth whispered, gently now.
The living should not chase the dead, and the living could not replace the dead.
"But if you're okay with Ruth, then I think we can work something out."
Those big pink eyes blinked once, twice.
The Chaos Karma Dragon herself burst into tears and buried her face in his chest, but this time…
This time, it was a far happier sound.
"-And that's how we got to this," Yuuji finished summarizing to a half awake and all confused Rias.
A Dragon with icy blue scales, her form unmistakeable despite currently being the size of a horse instead of dwarving a horse barn, was curled up in the common room, a resonant, blissful hum emerging from her jaws and a haggard looking (but also sleeping) wolfhound tenderly trapped within her scaly embrace.
"... Yuuji, all you said was 'my dog got adopted'." Rias sighed, glaring half-heartedly at her beloved Pawn.
"That was the important part of the story, it's late so I thought you'd appreciate the short version."
"... How can you say something so perfectly correct and so entirely wrong at the same time?"
"Talent?"
"... I've decided, this is a problem for tomorrow's Rias. It's a school night and I'm going to bed." Rias said, turning on her heel.
"... Seeing how you're dragging me, I assume I am as well?"
"It's late, and I'll fall back asleep much faster with Yuuji-cuddles." Rias explained quite reasonably.
Nodding along, Yuuji slipped from her grasp, only to scoop her up in his arms and set off.
Rias was asleep before they'd cleared the first flight of stairs.
The rhythmic and deeply content snoring of the Dragon they'd left behind trailing along in their wake.
Ruth ended up skipping school that day, and, as often happened when he was puzzled about something, he ended up in front of Isabel's grave.
A lot of Tiamat's explanation had gone over his head- the souls of her children, at least, the original eleven told of in the human myths, were something called 'Originals'.
Original not necessarily in the sense of being the first of their kind, but the 'first of a soul'- the soul that would become his own, thousands of years later, had first come into being in the form of Uridimmu.
The Howling One, a jet black hound that prowled the darkness with crimson eyes ablaze.
The Gruesome Hound that legend claims had taken a bite from the Sun itself, and kept those fiery rays imprisoned within its jaws.
… Sometimes known as the Mad Lion because myths were weird and Uridimmu was shaggy. Seemed impractical for someone living in a place that apparently made the hottest Japanese summers seem like the coldest Japanese winters, if he was being honest.
So then, the reason Tiamat was drawn to him, initially, was that she had caught wind of the dregs of her son's soul within him.
'A mother always knows her child', as she had put it.
He would never tell Tiamat, or Basmu for that matter, but none of that really meant much to Ruth.
None of it, except that apparently he'd always been a pretty good big brother, and…
Well, they'd been good to him, so he didn't really mind watching over them in Uridimmu's stead.
He had a sneaking suspicion that they were going to be seeing more of Tiamat from now on, but Yuuji didn't really think that had all that much to do with him.
He also didn't know that Ruth would have laughed at him for thinking that, but the bulk of Yuuji's attention for that day was reserved for a different blue-haired beauty.
Exiting her room, Kalawarner walked the common room carpet like it was a catwalk, but she wasn't putting on a show… possibly because she didn't need to.
She'd chosen a dress shirt in her preferred maroon, but she hadn't done up any buttons- not only were the sleeves rolled up, but the hem was as well, tied in a tight knot just beneath her breasts.
In spite of that, the shirt exposed only her cleavage (it would have been harder for her outfit not to), as Kalawarner had chosen a clinging black dress to wear beneath. The sides of the skirt were just thin strips of the same glossy black material as the rest of the garment, which, combined with how short the skirt was, meant that very little of her long and perfectly sculpted legs were concealed.
Completing the look were dark gray high heels with ankle straps, and a stainless steel watch that added a subdued air of professionalism to the ensemble, complimenting the chain of her small handbag.
Yuuji didn't say a word as she made her way to his side, but he truly didn't need to.
The way his dark eyes softened, even as they slowly drank in the sight of her, was answer enough- she would have felt satisfied if the day ended with that alone, but…
Well, it was the ideal chance for her to be just a little greedy.
Smiling as she twined her arm around his, Kalawarner leaned in, planting a brief kiss on his cheek and then shifted to murmur gently in his ear, for no reason other than it felt more intimate that way.
"Shall we then, Yuuji?"
Her eyes brightened with interest as Yuuji led her to the front door and opened it somewhere that wasn't Kuoh.
"Oh my, you've been practicing, haven't you?"
"Takes a little set-up, but it's worth it."
"Of that, I have no doubt."
When the dormitory door swung shut, there was no one to be found on either side of it.
They'd exited the portal in a twisting but not particularly cramped alley, smoothly integrating into the morning flow of pedestrian traffic without anyone the wiser.
… In the sense that no one noticed them showing up out of nowhere- Kalawarner was still turning heads because she was herself.
Yuuji was turning heads too, it just slipped his notice because he didn't care.
"Thought it'd be more relaxing when no one knows we go to the same school," Yuuji said.
"I can be as shameless and clingy as I'd like, understood," Kalawarner nodded solemnly, before sidling up just that little bit closer.
"It's going to be hard to walk if you do that."
"Do you mind?"
"No, but it'd be easier to carry you in my arms."
Kalawarner stiffened at the mental image of having Yuuji princess carry her around in public, fully aware that while she might find it humiliating, Yuuji wouldn't bat an eye.
The mind of a Fallen Angel started turning its gears rapidly in an attempt to decide if it would be an arousing sort of humiliation.
… Yes, but not enough.
Cheeks a little red, Kalawarner shifted so that they could actually walk arm-in-arm.
A brief hint of a smirk appeared on Yuuji's lips.
"Where are we, by the way?"
"Ehime. Little island town." Yuuji explained. "Its main attraction is the Dogo Onsen that Asako took me to once. Pretty famous within the country but less so outside of it, so it doesn't get as crowded as some of the other big onsen towns."
"Oh? I'm even more interested now that I have an opportunity to take a glimpse into your past."
"That too. Actually, since it's one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, I mostly just figured you'd enjoy the chance to bathe in history."
Kalawarner blinked once, and then tilted her head back as she burst into laughter, receiving fond gazes from passersby at the joyful melody of her mirth.
"Ahaha~ indeed, indeed, you have me there." The Fallen chuckled.
Without warning, the ocean-haired beauty leaned in, her bangs concealing her sultry little smile from the view of others.
"Especially with the company I can look forward to." She whispered, before leaning back, a quizzical look on her face as it occurred to her that she didn't actually know if mixed-bathing was-
"We have a reservation for this evening." Yuuji calmly remarked.
That seductive smile of hers returned with a vengeance.
Maybe it was a little… What was the word Uriel-sama used?
'Irreverent'?
Something like that.
Anyways, Irina didn't think there was anything wrong about using 'it' to bring light to one of the faithful.
… Even if that faithful was her, and she was just using her halo in place of a lamp.
She didn't do it when Xen-chan or one of the others were around, obviously, but the light was warm, and cozy and her eyes never got strained no matter how long she stared at a page, and it was a little piece of Heaven so obviously she liked it!
… That light also made her feel less scared and lonely when things like this happened.
Irina was sitting on her bed in her nightie, leaning against the wall and hiding behind her folded up legs.
Staring across the room at the really too fancy dresser that Rias-san had gifted her.
In the very top drawer that was mostly empty, a different sort of 'gift' was sitting.
A gift from Yuuji-kun.
It was a walkie-talkie, not the kind that she and-
… The kind that she had played with as a kid.
It was a big and heavy thing that would probably make a great paperweight, and was heavier than it looked because it was made from Yuuji-kun's Sacred Gear, and thus was made out of beaten-up old metal.
It was a walkie-talkie that he said she could use whenever she wanted.
A walkie-talkie that, if she talked into it…
Issei would be the one to answer back.
It had sat in the drawer ever since Yuuji had given it to her, and hadn't been touched ever since.
No one knew she had it, and Yuuji hadn't said a word.
He'd just given it to her the day after the big fight against the Khaos Brigade, told her what it would do, and said nothing more.
Not a word of encouragement, and not once had he checked to see if she'd used it.
So maybe he didn't know why she hadn't used it, maybe nobody did.
After all, she didn't get it either.
For the life of her, Irina just couldn't decide whether being able to talk to Issei, or not being able to talk to Issei would be worse.
… It really was an ugly looking thing.
Not cute at all.
Even the light of her halo couldn't make that clunky walkie-talkie look any better.
Staring down at it where it sat in the open drawer, not even really aware of when she'd crossed the room.
Maybe she should.
… It wasn't fair to drag things out like this.
Maybe she shouldn't.
… It wasn't fair to keep bothering Issei even after he was gone.
… It felt heavy in her hands.
Pressing down the button was way too much work, did Yuuji forget she was a girl?
"... Issei-kun?" She almost dropped the walkie-talkie on her foot when the release of the call button filled the air with harsh static.
…
…
Maybe she'd waited too long.
Maybe Issei didn't want to wait for her any longer.
[Rin? Rin is that you!?]
Scrambling to pick up the clunky piece of metal she'd just dropped onto the carpet, Shidou Irina proved that even Angels couldn't be graceful all the time.
"I-I-I-Issei!? H-h-h-hold on I'm not ready!'
… And the smile on her face as she heard his voice revealed that when it came to granting miracles, Angels sometimes found themselves receiving instead of giving.
"Quite a few people wearing yukatas… should I look for an opportunity to change?" Kalawarner asked, looking around
Yuuji shook his head and told her "you can just wear one after the bath."
"Oh? Are they provided as pajamas? I've never worn one to bed."
"And tonight's not gonna change that."
"Is that so…? Ufufufu~"
Kalawarner was the only foreigner present, and being a tall and beautiful foreigner with long blue hair had garnered quite a bit of attention and speculation, even if no one had voiced those thoughts aloud (luckily, as she would have heard no matter how silent their whispers).
But those who caught a glimpse of her found their thoughts on the matter reduced to but one idea.
… Whoever she was, it was as clear as day that she was very much in love with the man at her side.
And though the way he showed it wasn't quite so obvious, it was also clear that her feelings were being very much returned.
Somehow, the hours had slipped away, leaving them all alone in a world that seemed just for the two of them.
Truthfully, she barely remembered a word they'd shared, only that they had shared many.
And that she didn't need to see him smile, because knowing his voice had uttered words just for her was more than enough.
Slowly, she turned to him, wrapping her arms gently around him and leaning her head against his shoulder, feeling that little thrill in her chest as his arms wrapped around her in return.
"Yuuji, I…"
"What is it, Kala?"
"No… it's nothing," she whispered. "Just… thank you."
Even if he couldn't see it, she was sure he knew that she was smiling just for him.
Just as she most certainly knew that he was smiling right back.
Somehow, the hours had slipped away, leaving them all alone in a world that seemed just for the two of them.
Truthfully, she barely remembered a word they'd shared, only that they had shared many.
And that she didn't need to see him smile, because knowing his voice had uttered words just for her was more than enough.
Slowly, she lifted her other hand and wrapped it around that battered iron walkie-talkie, holding it close and imagining that the warmth that had slowly infused it was his.
"Issei, I…"
[What is it, Rin?]
"Issei I'm… I'm never going to stop missing you. I'm never going to stop wishing I could have saved you, and I'm never going to stop…"
Her words cut short as something stung one blurry eye.
But she didn't have to worry, because Issei knew every word she needed him to hear.
[Yeah, me too, Rin.]
"But I'm… I'm ready… I'm ready to say goodbye, now."
[... Okay.]
"Goodbye Issei, I…"
[Yeah, I know. Don't cry, Rin.]
"Mm, I won't, instead…"
Even if he couldn't see it, she was sure he knew that she was smiling just for him.
Just as she most certainly knew that he was smiling right back.
Long after that cold and silent piece of metal had faded away and slipped from her fingers, Irina kept wearing that smile that was just for him.
I have something to say about that final scene- oof.
Lots of sad scenes in this chapter, but warmth and hope for the future as well.
The hot cat girl has been tamed, Irina has finally managed to say goodbye to Issei for good, and…
Ruth is the reincarnation of an apocalyptic beast from Sumerian mythology.
Y'know, little details.
Naturally, Kalawarner's date isn't going to end with that, I'm not a monster.
But it wouldn't have felt right to get into the sexy stuff after that last scene.
So next chapter's gonna get steamy (pun intended), but, as I kind of hinted…
Yuuji ain't the only one who's getting lucky.