"Wait! Mom! Dad! You can't be in on this too, right?"
Akari and Rowan exchanged glances. Akane sat on the couch, sipping from an alcoholic juice box. She glanced at Shin out of the corner of her eye. Their parents had gotten home a few hours ago from an impromptu trip to the UK that had caused them to leave for a few days.
Asia sat next to Akane, attempting to act as a buffer between the two siblings.
"If you're talking about you being partnered to Kanna Tsuchimikado, then yes, we are. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it. Ayaka went through with the arrangements with Mom and Dad's approval… as well as mine," Akari said, looking down at her tea.
"Mom! This is the 21st century! You can't possibly shove me into an arranged marriage-"
"It's not an arranged marriage," Rowan corrected. "This is a trial period. No one is expecting you two to fall in love with each other. If you two don't express any feelings by the end of your third year, then Kanna goes back to Kyoto and the Furudes still get an alliance with the Kyoto Exorcists."
"Kch… so until then, I just have to be friends with this girl? But Onee made it sound completely different," Shin said, glaring at his older sister.
"I wasn't wrong. Aunt Ayakai said 'Please let Shin-chan go on a courtship period with Kanna with marriage in mind'. I don't think it could get any more literal than that," Akane replied.
"Goddamnit, Ayaka." Akari pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Why isn't Kureha the one being set up on a date?" Shin asked.
"Because Minami Tsuchimikado has no kids. Hokuto Tsuchimikado is currently married to a member of the Kushihashi Clan. Kanna is the only viable member from the main branch to send over here," Rowan said. "Still… Akari, you didn't know Ayaka explain it to them?"
"No. I'm going to go and give her a piece of my mind after this. But… Shin, just bear with it for now. It looks like you're not bound to marry her. Like Akane is saying, this is supposed to be a courtship period so there's nothing you need to worry about," Akari said.
"I see… so I don't have to marry her?" Shin asked.
"No. Ayaka can't force you to marry her. I'll make sure of it," Akari said. Her smile became menacing and everyone in the room felt a shiver of terror creep down their spine. "Now, we need to talk to your older sister about doing her job and not dumping cases on other people. Can you and Asia-chan leave the room?"
Her tone left no room for argument. It wasn't a request. It was an order.
Akane turned several shades of white and weakly reached out to her younger siblings with pleading eyes.
However, their fear of their mother and Shin's own pettiness at the situation overrode whatever feelings of love they had.
Nodding frantically and fearfully, the two left the room with surprising speed that it almost looked like they teleported.
"Hey, is it true that you're getting married?"
Shin sighed. He turned to see Sophia leaning her head against her hand with a cheeky smile on her face.
"No. I'm not. Mom said she was going to work this out with Aunt Ayaka," Shin said, letting out a quick breath.
"She did say that. But… you never know. What if you and this girl do fall in love with each other? Kyaa! It's like one of those novels I've been reading!" Vivi said. Her squeal cut across Shin's mind like nails on a chalkboard. It was a grating and irritating sound.
"You and your rofan obsession," Shin mumbled.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Sophia asked.
"No. It's just Vivi," he replied.
"Speaking of your little arrangement, Akeno's looking for you. She's become more antsy now that the Five Principal Clans are sending over a representative. Not to mention the Tsuchimikado girl that's coming here," she said.
"Yeah, I'll talk to Akeno after this. She shouldn't be training with Yeshua today since it's school," he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
What a hectic week.
First, his relationship with Irina and Issei were going nowhere. Now, his aunt had inadvertently placed him in an arranged marriage after his older sister had been dragged to a once-in-a-lifetime meeting. He needed to get his affairs in order before going to leave on jobs.
"Well, luckily you have me and Ran to help you with that. I'm well-versed in arranged marriages. Arthur and Guinevere's entire marriage was arranged, you know!" Vivi said, puffing out her chest.
Do you know how to break them? Shin asked.
"Er… I did technically after I… hehe, murdered her," Vivi said sheepishly.
"I'm doomed," he said.
Hey!
Did you hear?
What is it?
We're getting new students!
I hope it's a boy. A cute boy. We've been getting too many girls transferring lately. I hope it's a cute boy like Kiba-kun! Or a dark type! We need a [Dark Prince of Kuoh]!
"Mmm? That was fast. They're already here?" Sophia said.
"Mom and Dad said they'd come in today. I didn't think it'd be this soon," he said, not even bothering to look up at the board. Instead, he laid his head on his desk as the teacher mindlessly explained whatever they were learning.
His eyes swiveled over to Issei and Irina, who were oddly paying attention in class. Well, it was odd for Issei. The boy might be a Longinus Wielder but he was painfully average to almost dismal when it came to academics. Irina caught his eye and narrowed hers.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Irina turned around.
He sighed once more. "Still, I won't give up!"
Three knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts as well as the teacher's lecture. The teacher, fearing for the worst, slowly walked to the door and opened it. The look on her face confirmed everything. Their class roster was getting two new additions. To be honest, shoving all of these people in his class sounded completely detrimental to their learning.
"Two new ones? Why am I getting all of them?" he heard the teacher say.
"Orders."
"Fuck your orders! Can't you guys see I'm a full class already!?"
You go, Sensei, Shin cheered earnestly for her in his mind.
"We'll give you a bonus. A raise for each of these two."
"T- Two raises!? W- Well, I-I'm an educator. There's no way I can accept material wealth at the cost of these kids' educations-"
"How about we double your raise for each student you accept?"
"Deal."
Teacher… why? Shin thought, listening to the whole interaction.
"R- Right, kids. Please. Come in."
The teacher slid the door open, allowing the two to come in. The moment they did, all the boys in the class cheered.
"Wooh!"
"These two… they're not connected to Hyoudou, right?"
"Look at that! The white-haired one gives off that serene, cool vibe and the red-haired one has the fiery, energetic beauty vibe! And look at the white-haired one's tits! The firmness! That bounce with each step! It's very elegan-"
"Fushimoto-kun. Please see me after class," Sensei said.
Fushimoto's mouth snapped shut and he nodded meekly.
"Sorry about that, girls. The boys in this class are a bit… hormonal," Sensei apologized on behalf of the class.
The two girls nodded politely, however, the redhead had a strained smile on her face. It seems like she already had her impression of the entire school ruined on the first meeting.
"Please, introduce yourselves to the class," the teacher said.
"I'll go first. Greetings, I'm Renge Doumon." She grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote her name on the board. Renge placed the chalk down and bowed. "Pleased to meet all of you. I hope we can all get along for the rest of high school."
The entire class erupted in cheers. The cheers, however, were mostly on the men's side. Shouts of how she was perfect. The Yamato Nadeshiko type. Someone to be the Akeno Himejima of the second years.
Even Issei wanted to cringe at how his classmates acted. Yet, through all this, the girl maintained her composure and barely even reacted to the thinly veiled lust-filled words of the class.
"Quiet!" Sensei stamped her foot on the floor, causing the entire class to go quiet. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Thank you, Doumon-san. How about you?" Sensei asked, looking at the redhead.
"R- Right! Nice to meet you, everyone! I'm Kanna Tsuchimikado! I'm from Kyoto and decided to finish up my high school here before moving back. Sorry about Ren-chan's lack of an intro. She's kind of shy. Please take care of me, everyone!" Her words were accompanied by a blinding smile.
This time, rather than outcries of joy and lust, everyone was stunned into silence and almost blinded by the sheer radiance she gave off. Shin could feel himself slowly being killed by the brightness. Did this girl have some sort of superpower that made "normies" and "introverts" wither?
"This girl… really is too bright," Sophia said, shielding her eyes.
"I think it's some kind of onmyo spell she's casting. Maybe some power words?" Shin suggested.
"You two…" Vivi deadpanned.
Following her stellar display of absolute extroversion, the teacher assigned the two to two empty spots near the back. Near him and Sophia.
The moment Kanna passed by, Shin locked eyes with her for a brief moment. Green met black as the two stared at each other briefly. The moment broke when Kanna turned and walked to her chair. However, for the remainder of the class, Shin could feel her gaze drilling holes into the back of his head.
So this was the Tsuchimikado Heiress. Now that she was closer, he could feel her ki more clearly. It was pure. Too pure.
A purity that had a sort of cosmic feeling to it if he could even begin to describe it. There was just something uncanny about how her ki felt even when she was suppressing it. It was a stark contrast from the calm, flowing sensation he felt from her companion—which felt more like a calm lake during the night.
Remember, Shin-chan! This is technically a marriage interview!
His sister's words rang in his head.
Shin stared at the board mindlessly.
Class can't end any faster, he thought.
"Onii."
Shin woke up with a start. He saw Asia standing in front of him with a slightly disappointed look on her face. She had changed tremendously since Serikawa. At first, he thought it was because of Moryo, but Asia had grown. He didn't know whether to be proud or scared because the timid girl who once pursued Issei shyly was now starting to resemble their older sister more and more.
"W- Wha…?" he said groggily.
"Class is over. We have to meet the two delegates from Kyoto. Azazel assigned us this-"
"Onee's mission."
"Right, Azazel assigned you Onee's mission so you have to go and greet them," Asia said.
"Just me?" he asked.
"Yes, just you. I can't go. Onee asked me to handle things at the pub since Mom and Dad have an outing later," she replied.
"Wait, what about Sophia?" he asked.
"Sophia already left. Something finishing what she started during the summer. Anyway, you're on your own for this," Asia said.
"A- Asia! You're not going to leave me alone, right?" Shin asked.
"Onii, this is your first official job since you stopped. I'd thought you'd be happier," she said.
"I am… but I have like zero diplomatic skills. What if I mess up?"
"Well, you have Vivi with you. And Ran, right? Just take Ran with you."
"Girls love dogs, after all. Akatsuki loved dogs herself. She owned a few inugami when she was alive." Moryo's voice echoed in his ears.
"R-Right, fine. I got this. First mission by myself. I'm just nervous. Yeah. I'll meet up with you later at Hatch Potch, Asia. Just please don't let Riser and Issei burn the place down. I heard Irina is starting too so don't forget to show her the ropes," he said.
Asia nodded.
"Now…," Shin grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulder. "Let's go greet the Kyoto reps. Ran."
"Yes, Master."
Ran manifested in a swirl of black flames. She laid her whole body atop his head, dangling her forepaws in front of his eyes. Her tail rested comfortably, almost giving him the appearance of a ponytail.
"Ready?" Shin asked.
"I should be asking you that question, Master. You're more adept with missions that require a target to kill or protect. Not… escort or diplomacy type missions."
"Just stay with me. Vivi is here too to make sure I don't screw this up," he said, walking to the door.
He opened the door to reveal Akeno standing behind it.
"Oh, Shin, I've been waiting."
Akeno had a small smile on her face. She was dressed in the summer uniform, forgoing the use of her shoulder cape and opting for a breezier style. This uniform. It did nothing to hide her curves and just the sight of them made Shin's mouth run dry. Maybe, Issei was on to something whenever he made him watch porn with him.
"Mmm? Shin? You okay?" Akeno asked, leaning in close.
Shin's eyes widened and his ears turned red as he inhaled her intoxicating scent.
Shit! Shit!
Ever since he realized his feelings, he'd become more self-conscious around her.
Asia watched the two interact in the background with an unamused look on her face.
"Master, is this what human courtship looks like nowadays?" Moryo asked.
"No. Well, yes. Kind of. Anyway, let's go. I'm getting secondhand embarrassment watching this," Asia said, leaving the room through the other door.
"Master!" Ran slapped her paws on Shin's face.
"Wha-!? Ow! What the hell!?" Shin barked.
"Let's go," Ran growled.
"Oh, right. Them."
"Let me go with you."
Shin and Ran froze. Akeno pulled her face back and looked at the two with a serious expression on her face. Her fists were clenched tightly and her arms trembled slightly.
"Are you sure? We can handle this alone. I don't want you to waste your time on an assignment that isn't yours," Shin said.
"N-No, it's not that. I… I need to be there. I'm a Himejima. This- This has something to do with me too," Akeno said.
Shin said nothing as he looked Akeno in the eye. He could tell by that defiant, resolute glint in her eyes that no matter what he said, she wasn't going to listen.
This probably has something to do with her Mom and the Himejimas, Shin thought. He let out a small sigh and nodded. "Alright. I didn't want to go alone so wanna tag along?" he asked.
Akeno's face lit up and she lunged forward.
Shin's eyes widened as he felt her arms wrap around him, bringing him into a hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll be good!" Akeno said gratefully.
"Uh, yeah! No problem! I… um, Akeno? It's getting a little tight-!" he said, feeling her squeeze tighter. Not that he minded. The magnificent sensation he felt in the front was something he wanted to bask in forever. But it made him feel tight in more places than one.
"Huh? Oh… Oh! I'm sorry! I…" Akeno pulled away and had a crimson-red blush lighting up her face. I… I did that without thinking!
"It's okay." Shin coughed, attempting to keep the blush from spreading to his face. "I… uh, let's just go."
Akeno nodded and the two left the empty classroom.
"Jeez, where is he? Is he going to make us wait all day?" Kanna asked, leaning against the wall on the school roof.
It had been arranged prior. Rias had made sure that no one would bother them. Sona's Peerage were told not to ask questions about the new students and Rias was told not to interfere in matters that didn't involve her. And she complied. Rias had no wish to be involved. Kanna just wished that this Rias person told Shin to come show up on time.
"It's only been 10 minutes since class ended, Kanna. I'm sure he still has to take care of some things," Renge said, swiping furiously on her phone screen.
"It's poor etiquette- Hey! Stop rolling on the banner and pay attention!" Kanna exclaimed. "Your ward is complaining here…" she puffed her cheeks in fake anger.
"My bad, Kanna-sama. As penance, I shall contribute 1000 yen to your banner funds for the next big banner-"
"Stop. That's not what I meant." Kanna held her hand out and sighed.
Renge nodded and slipped her phone into her uniform pocket. "It is odd that he's not here yet. Should we go look for him and find another place to schedule the meeting? I thought a boy would be happy to have a potential prospect picked out for him."
"You-"
"Sorry, we're late!"
The door to the rooftop swung open. Kanna sighed in exasperation as she got to her feet. She dusted her skirt off and crossed her arms. "Finally, I've been waiting- wait, we?"
Shin wasn't alone. Her green eyes darted to the last person she expected to show up. The Queen of Rias Gremory. Kanna didn't even need to know her name to see that her appearance was a dead giveaway to someone who had long been dead.
"Himejima." Kanna heard the words leave Renge's lips.
Akeno froze upon hearing her last name. Her eyes directly met the white-haired girl leaning against the wall.
Judging by her appearance…
"Doumon," Akeno said.
An odd tension settled between the two groups. Shin and Kanna exchanged glances before nodding.
"Now, now, Ren-chan. Calm down. It's not like Furude meant to bring the Himejima here, right, Furude?" Kanna asked.
"N- No, it was just a coincidence."
"Huh, but Shin-"
"Just play along," he whispered.
Akeno nodded. "I just happened to run into him on the way. I accompanied him because I was worried."
"I have no problem with her presence, Kanna. In fact, this might be a good thing," Renge said, breaking her silence.
Shuri Himejima's daughter. Reporting it to Suzaku might be a good idea, however, it seemed that the Himejima girl in front of them was close to the Furude. Bringing Furude and Himejima near each other at such a critical time might be too much. Renge could only shiver at the thought of Akari Furude rampaging through Kyoto.
"Eh? How so? You know what, nevermind that. Our families asked us to meet so here we are. Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Kanna asked, waving off Renge's words. She would handle this later.
Akeno glanced at Shin, who had a serious look on his face. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking Kanna in the eye.
"You're going to have to explain it a bit more to me. Because from what I hear, you and I are supposed to get married."
Akeno froze. Her eyes lost a slight bit of light.
Shin? Married? To her? No, no, no, no…
"That's the basic gist of it, yeah."
Akeno almost said something but held herself back. First, Rias, and now, Shin? What was it with people close to her and being thrust into arranged marriages? She laid her claim on him first. Not Sophia. Not this girl. Her.
Eh? I… claimed him…?
Her eyes widened slightly as the exchange between Shin and Kanna began to fade into the background.
Yes, she missed him the whole time she was in the Underworld.
She had a few… dreams about him the whole time she was there. And yes, she might have maybe done a few things she would rather not remember again. However, when did Shin become hers?
That's right… I…
"So, they told you the deadline?"
Akeno's ears perked up when she heard Kanna's next set of words.
"Yeah, we're going to be officially engaged by the end of our third year and be married after that. I think when Mom followed up with Aunt Ayaka, your sister and my aunt decided a good target time period for us to get married was by the start of university."
Akeno stiffened. Unsavory thoughts began to pollute her mind. A faint trace of a jagged crown-like halo began to appear on her head.
That's right. Shin was going to get married. To this girl and not her. Akeno's shoulders trembled slightly. There was no way she was going to accept it. Shin was hers. Shin belonged to her. She claimed him first. He was her property-
"Akeno?"
"Eh?" Akeno blinked when she saw the three staring at her.
"Akeno, are you okay?" Shin asked.
"What are you…?"
"You were spitting lightning bolts from your body just now," Kanna pointed out.
"Huh? I was? But I…?" Akeno then noticed the small scorch marks that tainted the walls and floor around her and the fact that Renge had a talisman held up with a barrier that kept them safe from her errant bolts.
"Akeno, are you sure you're okay?" Shin asked with a worried expression on her face.
"I… um…"
"I think we should resume the meeting another time. We got the basic information out of the way. So, Shin, next time we meet on the specifics?" Kanna said as she dispelled the barrier with a snap of her fingers.
"Yeah, I got it. Are you sure you want to apply at the pub? We're pretty full right now," Shin said.
"I worked at a maid cafe before coming here. I'll be fine. Besides, we can worry about the finer details later. It looks like your friend here needs you more than we do right now so we'll end it here," Kanna said.
Shin nodded.
"Guys, I'm fine, really-"
"Himejima. Shin and I already got the basics of our situation down. I'm sure he'll explain it more to you later. So for now, we'll end things here. I'm sure I can expect you to help us sometime in the future. Besides, I'm not one to come in between two people~," Kanna said, giving her a wink.
"E- Eh? W- What are you talking about!?" Akeno said, red-faced and slightly embarrassed.
"H-Hey! What are you-!? Akeno and I aren't…"
"You and Himejima aren't…?" Kanna asked, raising an eyebrow. She had a smug smile on her face.
These two. They were so easy to read.
"Kanna, I still don't agree with how you're handling these things," Renge said. "What is your sister going to say if she found out that you're doing this?"
"Don't worry. Sis gave me a due date so I'm not too worried right now. Besides, if all goes well, this will be over by the time we graduate," Kanna said. "Right, Shin?"
"Yeah. Let me and my parents handle my aunt. She'll be disappointed but I feel like she'll understand. Besides, we can forge a connection that doesn't have to be marriage, right?" Shin asked.
"Yup. Anyway, I'll leave you two to this. I'm sure she wasn't expecting you to be in this situation. Explain it to her properly, 'kay~?" Kanna waved. She grabbed Renge by the arm and dragged her out of the rooftop, leaving the two alone.
"Shin, I'm sorry. I messed up the meeting and-"
"No, I'm sorry. I should've explained everything before I brought you up here," Shin said, cutting her off.
"I… Shin, what were you guys talking about? Are you… getting married?" she asked. Akeno felt her throat dry up just by forcing the words out of her mouth.
Shin let out a sigh. "Well, let me explain everything from beginning to end."
Akane tried not to be nervous. She, who had experienced a thousand battlefields in her short life, was facing off against possibly what could be her most daunting task aside from giving her brother away to a potential wife.
Riser's parents.
His father, the jovial yet hardline traditionalist Phenex Lord, begrudgingly accepted her at the behest of his wife, who Akane couldn't get a read on. In fact, Riser's mother kept sending Akane subtle smiles the entire dinner.
"So, Akane, have you and my son done it, yet?"
Riser spat his drink out.
Akane almost choked on hers.
"M- Mom!?" Ravel slammed her hands on the dinner table. Her face was beet red. Even Ruval, Riser's older brother, coughed into his hands.
"Dear, I don't think that's an appropriate question," Lord Phenex said.
"Eh? Why not? I just wanted to know if I can expect grandchildren in the near future-"
"Mother! This is highly inappropriate! Brother and S- Sister are still in school!" Ravel protested.
"I mean… they're engaged. I assumed they'd done it already," Lady Phenex said. "But… I guess I can touch on that topic later when we're alone, right, Akane~?"
Akane nodded dumbly, amazed by the bold-faced, completely out-of-pocket question she had just been asked by her fiance's parents.
"Um, Akane. Can you tell us how you met Riser?" Ruval asked, trying to change the subject before his mother said something else completely outrageous.
"Well, that's a funny story actually-"
Her phone went off. Her face began to turn red and her anger bubbled beneath her skin. "I'm sorry. Let me see who this is."
Akane pulled her phone out and her eyebrow twitched when she saw the caller ID.
"Who is it?" Riser asked, glancing at the screen.
"It's… Cas," she said.
"I'll distract them. Go answer it," he whispered.
"I'm sorry. I have to take this. It's an important call," she bowed apologetically and excused herself while Riser took over telling the story of how they met to his parents.
Akane silently stormed out of the dining hall to a secluded balcony in the Phenex Manor.
As soon as she was sure she was alone, Akane stopped and pulled her phone out.
"Lady Jingwei."
Jingwei manifested behind her.
"I need you to make sure no one hears our call," Akane said.
"Mmm? Are you going to rip him a new one for potentially ruining a dinner with your fiance's parents?" she asked.
"Yes."
Jingwei nodded and vanished in a burst of red flames. Behind her, the door leading to the balcony glowed and was sealed shut.
Her phone rang once more and this time, she answered.
[Akane, thank god you answered-]
"What the hell is wrong with you!? I told you guys not to call unless it was an emergency! I'm at dinner at my fiance's house!" Akane hissed into the phone.
[Is that Akane?]
She heard another voice in the background,
[Look, Akane. I know you said to call you only during an emergency but that's kind of what's going on right now. I'm afraid we're gonna need you to send some help.]
Akane sighed and leaned against the railing. "Hold on, aren't you in Romania to deal with the Vampire War because Selene asked you to help? What's going on over there, Cas?"
She heard him sigh over the call.
[I'm sure they'll go over this at the Nebula but I guess I can tell you over the call. I just hope they're not listening in…]
"Mmm?" Akane raised an eyebrow. "What's… going on?"
[Akane, they're here. The Praetors. They're here in Romania. We need you to send back up while you're at the Nebula.]
Renge Doumon
The heir of the Doumon House.
An elegant and well-mannered young lady whose movements are nothing but graceful.
She has yet to accept the position of Genbu from her grandfather.
She is well acquainted with Vali Lucifer, once bearing a childhood crush on him, though she has long since moved on from it.
I'm sure you've seen the other story, RE:Wind. This announcement is about that. I'm going to admit I rushed headlong into that story so I'm rewriting it because I sort of kind of quickly ran out of ideas the moment I got to six chapters so I'm investing more time into it. Specifically in how it ties to Azure and The Doomsday Option so that means lots of changes are going to happen so it can fit into the continuity of the other two stories so stay tuned for that.