Happy fucking new yeeeear, assholes! It's 2019! 2018 is finally over, and man, what a shit year it was. The world is falling apart, YouTube was a shithole, Lucasfilms ruined Star Wars, my car got stolen (and retrieved), and one of my cats died right before Christmas. I wonder if this year will be as shit as the others? Fuckin probably.

Oh well, I'm still gonna keep writing, so fuck it! Same shit, different year!

Anyway, we're back with this story now. I was finally able to get through the opening to the 'Ragnarök arc' in my main story, so now I can focus on my other stories that were on hold. So, let's fuckin do this!

This time, it's the Phoenix party, "The mysterious visit", and more!

SCENE

Hello, everyone. Hyoudou Issei, again. Um, I was just thinking. Where did I leave it off?

Ah, yes, that's right.

[[[[ Wel~coooome! ]]]]

Pop, pop, pop!

Fireworks popped off into the sky, and some celebratory confetti fell on top of me. Right as that happened, a huge group of well dressed people greeted me courteously. Most of them being servants and maids…. Yes, servants.

Because, in case you don't remember, I am currently in the Underworld with my whole group. Yup! And the people who are these servants' employers, are the group of 4 blond haired people also greeting me.

These people— are none other than the members of the Phenex family, excluding Ravel.

That's right. This place, where I have been greeted by practically every servant of the estate— is none other than Phenex castle itself…

"Welcome, Hyoudou Issei-san."

The two people I was specifically greeted by, along with her husband, was Lady Phenex herself. Accompanied by her husband, Raiser, and even another man I didn't recognise, but assume to be "Ruval Phenex". And greeted by the simultaneous bow of every Phenex servant lined up behind them, I have come dressed nicely, to finally attend the celebration specifically set for Ravel and me.

"..Y-Yes, good day…. Thank you for having me… It is an honour…"

The eccentric "greeting" that I was given was too much for me to process all at once, so I could only respond like that. Very awkward. Ravel, who was standing right next to me, was holding her head in her hands with a red face. It looks like she's embarrassed by all of this… C-Cheer up, Ravel. On the bright side, you look beautiful..!

"Oh, no. The honour is all our own, Hyoudou Issei-san. Or may I call you "Ise-kun"?"

Lady Phenex asks me that with a smile. Uwaaa~, even Ravel's mother looks stunning in her dress! The person that Ravel gets her looks from is just as gorgeous, I can't even tell her age! It's the same situation as with Venelana-san, they just look like sisters to their daughters!

"U-Uh, yes! Please, call me whatever you like, madam Phenex!"

I tried answering as respectfully as I could, but I'm sure my stiff posture made it obvious that I was extremely nervous to meet them.

I-I mean, it's Ravel's family! Of course I'm nervous!

Lady Phenex just giggled in a cute manner in response to my attitude.

"Ufufufu~ Oh, there's no need to be so formal, Ise-kun. We are very grateful to have you looking over our daughter. You can treat all of us here as your family as well."

She says such a thing with a radiant smile! S-Such an honour..! I am not worthy!

"T-Thank you very much! I don't believe I deserve such an honour, but, I am very grateful for your hospitality!"

"Oh, nonsense, sweetheart. It's fine. Now, please, come. Let us have a chance to show you our hospitality in full, yes?"

"Y-Yes, please!"

With that, we were led into the Phenex estate by the family and their servants. And thus began the 'Phenex celebration'...

Part 1

There was one time that I came to the Phenex castle before. It was after the time with Loki, when Raiser was still depressed about being defeated by me. I was able to bring him out of his slump by beating him up. Or rather, he was able to bring himself out of that state by thinking of looking at Rias's oppai….

Thinking back to it, this guy is super perverted too! I mean, I know I'm perverted, but come on! How do you go from depressed to super confident just by the thought of boobs?!

….Hah, as the former "Oppai Dragon", I'm really not one to talk, so I'll just shut the fuck up about it…

—Anyway, the inside of this castle is still just as impressive as last time! There's great statues, paintings, a bunch of rooms, and a beautiful chandelier above us. Ah, in the main lobby, there's a large family crest in the floor. It's magnificently designed and has the motif of a golden phoenix. As I thought, I would definitely get lost in this huge place..

But more importantly, holy shit!

"Uuooooooooooh!"

—Being led by Lady Phenex and her family, we ended up in some sort of ball room filled with people I didn't recognise! Wait, is this an actual party with High-Class Devils?!

...Wait, no! Looking at it closely, everybody here just seems to be a servant? Yeah, it looks like the ballroom is filled with servants..!

"Our servants deserve a break every once in a while as well, no?"

Lady Phenex said that with a wink. So this isn't a public party with High-Class Devils, it's just filled with the Phenex servants! What a considerate woman, this lady is! Also, these servants got here way faster than us, even though we entered the castle first. They must have teleported inside or something.

"Come, let us sit. Our food should have already been prepared."

Lady Phenex and her family then led us to one of the big tables in the ballroom, the one that looked like the main one. The moment we sat down, a bunch of servants came over and placed food and drinks all over the table!

Whoa! Even though they were just partying a second ago, they were perfectly prepared to serve us! And after that, they went back to partying like nothing! This event is absurdly coordinated!

"So, Hyoudou Issei-san. How is it? Is everything to your liking?"

I flinched when I was called out. This time, it was Ravel's father, Lord Phenex, who spoke to me. The Phenex family were all sitting across the table from my group, while Ravel was sitting right next to me. Lady Phenex is sitting next to Lord Phenex with a smile, Raiser is sitting in his seat uncomfortably and groaning, and the last guy is pretty calm. Ah, that last guy is...Ruval-san, right? I think….

Ah, wait! More importantly, Lord Phenex just asked you a question! Answer him, idiot!

"Ah, ah! Y-Yes, thank you! It is very nice here! I feel very welcome, Phenex-sama!"

I tried answering Lord Phenex in a formal manner, but it ended up coming out like I was about to shit myself… Lady Phenex giggled at my weirdness.

"Ufufu, no need to be so nervous, Ise-kun. We are all family here."

Ueeh, "family"... When you say it like that, I can only get nervous thinking about the possibilities, even if it also makes me optimistic…. I gulped and tried giving them my best smile.

"R-Right, sorry. Just, um, you know.. I've never really been the "guest of honour" for anything as important as an event like this, so it makes me kind of nervous on how to act, hehe… I really don't want to make a bad impression on you guys either…"

Ah, because of my honesty, I ended up blurting that last part out… Lady Phenex's smile grew a little bit at my words.

"My, ufufu. Well, I certainly appreciate the honesty, Ise-kun. That honesty of yours is something that many have come to admire, being that it is so rare in the Devil society. And I believe it is a good trait to have, especially considering that we will be leaving Ravel in your care from now on."

"O-Okaa-sama!"

Just as Lady Phenex finished speaking, Ravel shouted at her with a red face. Guh, what a cute reaction! I never get tired of it!

But, "leaving Ravel in your care from now on", I can see why Ravel gets embarrassed… I mean, if you're phrasing it like that, it almost sounds like…

(—!)

Ah, that's right! I just remembered something! There is something very important I'd like to ask Lady Phenex that I've been practicing since before I came here!

"A-Ano, L-Lady Phenex. If I may, I would like to ask you as question.."

I tried asking Lady Phenex in a dignified manner, but I couldn't help raising my hand a little bit in a weak manner. Goddammit! C'mon man! What happened to all that confidence training we did!

"Oh, by all means, dear. Go ahead. Ask what you please."

Lady Phenex responds with a radiant smile! Ah, it's blinding! Shit, that only makes me even MORE nervous! I mean, I can't help it! Out of all topics, this topic is the one that would make me the most nervous! Aaaaaah, whatever! Just do it! No backing out now!

I tried clearing my throat before asking my question.

"A-Ahem— Um, Lady Phenex…. Um…"

I even stood up from my seat, and…

"I..!"

—And due to my weak nature, I ended up asking Lady Phenex "that" dreaded question while taking a bow.

"Lady Phenex! I-In the future, when I become a proper High-Class Devil! P-Please consider trading Bishop pieces with me, so that I may take Ravel on as my servant!"

The world went dead silent with my request. Even the entire ballroom full of servants just stopped talking at the perfect time for my shout to resonate throughout the castle.

….Kill me….

"Ah, well, of course we already assumed that was set in stone."

Lady Phenex just responds in a matter of fact tone like that….

….

….

"...Ah, right…"

I slowly brought myself back down into my seat with a blank expression…..

….

KILL MEEEEEEEEEEEEE! DIE! DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE! DIE, YOU WORTHLESS SHITHEAAAAAD! GO DIE IN A FUCKING HOOOOOLE! OF COURSE, IT WAS OBVIOUS, YOU FUCKING IDIOT! SHE MADE IT OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS OKAY, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS ASK IN A FORMAL MANNER AND SHE WOULD HAVE SAID YES! BUT, NO! YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND ACT LIKE! SOME! FUCKING—!

"Fuhahaha, he's more of an interesting fellow than I remembered. Isn't he, dear?"

"Ufufu, indeed he is. A very honest boy, a good choice for our daughter."

Ah, while I was having an inner turmoil, Lady Phenex and her husband were actually laughing at me. Though I could tell that it wasn't mean-spirited, I felt even more embarrassed by that…. Ravel beside me is covering her red face with her hands…. Yeah, I wanna do that too… As a matter of fact, I just kinda wanna disappear for a little bit right now….

"Well, either way, the gesture is much appreciated, Ise-kun. I can tell that you still have very high tension, so let's just relax for now. We can start with the more relaxed topics of conversation while we eat. What do you say?"

Lady Phenex tried to ease me with a smile. Uwaah, her smile is very beautiful, I can't get over it! Maybe it's because of my attraction to Ravel, but it's too much for me to handle! Not to mention, it's Ravel's mother, so I can't help but feel excited thinking about the 'taboo' aspect of being attracted to her, and that's only making it worse! It almost makes want to turn away!

"Ufufu, your face has become red, Ise-kun. Have I perhaps made you even more nervous?"

Because of how immediately embarrassed I felt being exposed, I couldn't stop myself from covering my face with my hands and looking away.

"Aaah, no! I don't have any sort of peculiar attraction like that! I admit that I am a pervert, but I don't have any weird fantasies involving mother-in-law play! I swear!"

At that moment, a lot of the girls from my group shouted, including Ravel, who was the loudest.

[Mother-in-law?!]

My ears hurt for a second because of it, but before I could register the pain, I became even more flustered realising what I said.

"N-No, wait! Not like that! I just mean to say that I don't have any freaky ideas at all! I'm not implying anything by that phrasing! It's just coincidence! What I mean is that I don't have any sexual fantasies revolving around anyone who is related to me in any way, technical or not! I don't have 'taboo family' fantasies, that's what I meant! Seriously, that's all! P-Please don't misunderstand!"

I tried defending myself as best as I could, but in the end, all I did was give the Phenex family something else to laugh at…. Well, at least they're lighthearted and not malicious… But who ever thought our meeting would go like this?...

About two hours have passed since we've arrived at Phenex castle. And….

"Fuhahahaha, so that's the story of how our bullheaded son came to regain his courage, ey? Well, at the very least, we have you to thank for that as well, Hyoudou Issei-san."

"Ahahaha, no, no, it's really no big deal. In the end, it was still Raiser himself who brought himself out of that depression using breasts as a motivation. All I did was beat him up and prevent him from doing it, haha."

Lord Phenex and I laughed together, along with most of his family across the table. Things are actually going good! For the past couple hours, we've all been eating and having fairly pleasant conversation.

Right now, I was just telling Ravel's family about the story of how her brother Raiser came out of his depression. It was a funny story that Raiser's family seemed to enjoy laughing at. Raiser himself was groaning in a subtle rage, but also sinking in his seat out of embarrassment. Honestly, it's kind of hilarious, haha. Never thought I would see the day that I could "mess" with Raiser like this. It's quite fun.

Although I and Ravel's family seem to be enjoying ourselves quite a bit, besides Raiser, the rest of my group kinda seems….awkward? I don't know, but they're not talking as much as I am. In fact, I'm kind of the one that is talking the most out of us… With Ravel, it makes sense, since she just seems to be really embarrassed around her family. But, everyone else just kinda feels sidelined. Huh, maybe that's just my fault since I'm talking so much. Though, I don't really see Ravel's family openly seeking conversation with my group members either…

Actually, now that I think about it, it feels pretty weird… I've never been the "main guest" of anything like this. Most of the time, whenever we're going to social functions, I don't get to do or say much. Because I am just a servant, I end up getting sidelined with everybody else. The only time it was sort of different was when we went to Gremory castle. Rias's family usually gave me a lot of attention, but that also included other servants as well. Even though I felt like they gave me some sort of special attention, they still spoke to the other servants, and Rias herself, of course. But…. Right now, it just feel like I'm the one getting the most attention, independently…

Heh, being spoken to as "Hyoudou Issei" and not as a "servant of Gremory"... Feels kinda liberating.

"Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised though. Raiser has always been quite perverted. Being vulgar in his own way, it didn't usually cause trouble, but it wasn't the proudest image for us, even if he was undefeated in the rating games. I'm glad that you were able to bring him down a step, Hyoudou Issei-san."

Lord Phenex smiles and thanks me in a weird way. That only made Raiser groan in his seat even more, while a big vein popped on his forehead. Lady Phenex acknowledged his grumpiness.

"Oh, come now, Raiser. Don't be so grouchy, you know your father only says it with love. Everyone requires some humbling here and then. It was only a matter of time until someone like Ise-kun had come around, you know?"

Raiser responded to his mother in a low growl.

"...Whatever. Rather than that, I'm more bothered by the fact that I am having my family laugh at me in a setting like this."

"Oh, it's fine, Raiser. Don't be so callous. Family laughs at each other sometimes, it's nothing malicious."

To that, Raiser just raised his brow.

"...I'm more worried about that phrasing. Since, knowing you, there is more implications to that term."

"Ufufu, of course there is. Family is not just limited to blood only, Raiser. You should start thinking like that from now on, 'Onii-sama'."

Raiser clicked his tongue hard at what his mother said and mumbled something under his breath.

"Tch..! That's exactly what bothers me…."

Ueeehehe…. Why do I feel like I somehow play into this conversation?...

While I was wondering about that, Lady Phenex turned her attention to Rias, my master.

"By the way, Rias, I wanted to ask but how is life at home for you? Are you still enjoying your time in school?"

She started a small talk with Rias. Rias, who was frowning slightly up to this point, lightened up when Lady Phenex addressed her. Maybe it's because she found it odd wasn't getting attention, so she was bored or something? But anyway, Rias answered with a smile.

"Ah, yes. It's all very good now. It was a bit lonely at the time when Ise was…filming his new adventure series, and with our training for the match against Sairaorg. But, things have calmed down well enough now. Daily life has become much more pleasant again."

"Ah, I see. That's good. Yes, I do remember watching the broadcasts of that new adventure programme. They were quite the invigorating watch, I must say. Perhaps a little too energetic for an old woman like me though, ufufu."

Because of my honest nature, I felt compelled to disagree with Lady Phenex's remarks outright.

"T-That's not true! Um, Lady Phenex still looks very young! It's the same thoughts I had with many other Devils, but I believe that Lady Phenex and Ravel almost look like sisters together! So, uh, you know..!"

My words ended up dying off when I realised how weird it was for me to say such things randomly. Lady Phenex just giggled.

"Ufufufu, oh thank you, dear. That's very flattering. Though I was only joking, ufufu."

"...Ah, right… Ehehe, well… You know, still, um…. Yeah…"

I didn't have any other response than scratching the back of my head and mumbling…. Guh… Even though I'm supposed to be acting civilised and stuff…. Uuu, out of all times, I wanted to act cool here most of all!

"Still, though…"

Lady Phenex turned back to Rias one more time with the same pretty smile, but with a different feeling to it.

"I am Ravel's mother, Rias. To assume that I don't know the circumstances behind the rating game delay, it's a bit naive, isn't it? "New programme" or not."

—Suddenly, it felt like the atmosphere became very heavy on my side.

…...I'm not sure if I read that wrong, but…. It sounds a lot like she knows something that makes things awkward. I was never sure if Ravel spoke to her mother in her free time, but maybe she did…. Well, even if she did, I'm sure Ravel is pretty discreet…. In which case, that would just mean that 'mama' is very observant...

"Ahem— Hyoudou Issei-kun."

The tension ended up being cut by another member of the family who I hadn't really spoken to yet. This party is my first time meeting him. It's the eldest brother and next heir of the Phenex family, Ruval Phenex. The one who looks like an older, cooler Raiser with noble clothing and a goatee. Also, his hair is slightly longer, similar to Sirzechs-sama's hair.

"Ah, y-yes! W-What is it, Ruval-san?"

"Just Ruval is fine."

"Eh? Uh, o-okay.."

"Anyway, I was a bit curious since you mentioned it earlier. So, I wanted to ask you about your future prospects, as a master and High-Class Devil, I mean."

"Ah!"

Oh, shit! Alright, calm down! He's asking you a very important question. Answer it as properly as you can. Ah, but, wait! I haven't really fully thought about what I'm going to do in the future yet!

I mean, I always had the goal that I would become a harem king, but I can't say that to them! And, even though one my goal was to become the ultimate pawn, I…!

….Well, it's not like that goal has changed necessarily, but…. My motivations have shifted a bit, you know! After going on wicked adventures through Azazel's trials, I felt like I could do so much more, so there's a lot of things on my mind! Things that I haven't set myself on yet!

But, but, I definitely can't answer indecisively! Otherwise, they may lose confidence in me! So, what is it then?! What is something that I've set myself on 100%?! What's something that I for sure want to do?!

—I was then unexpectedly caught by an image. It was the image of Ravel wearing….a wedding dress….

….

….

"Um… Well..."

Having nothing else to say, I had to answer honestly with a bit of shame in my voice.

"...Um, I'm sorry, but I haven't really decided that just yet. I mean, I still have the concrete desire to become a High-Class Devil, that goal hasn't changed…. But, ever since going on major "escapades", there's a lot of things I've discovered about myself. And, I've come to feel that this world is a lot bigger than I thought it was…. There's a lot of things that I know I can do, things that are so much bigger than me, and things I should aim to reach…. I set a lot of high expectations after my fight with Sairaorg, and, I want to meet those expectations. Even though I don't even know where to start, I still feel the motivation to try, you know?... I'd like to take it one step at a time, so I don't mess it up…. But, at the very least, one thing I know is that…"

Even though I was trying to avoid anybody's gazes out of shame, I couldn't help but turn to Ravel sitting beside me, and smile just a bit….

"...I know that I want to repay the people who stayed by my side and never stopped supporting me…. Somehow, I want to make it up to them…. That's my greatest motivation."

Up until this point, Ravel was acting embarrassed because of her family. But right now, she was looking up at me with a distant gaze, as if being caught by my stare. Even at a time like this, whenever I look at her, I end up feeling like we're the only two people in the world. It feels like everything just fades away into obscurity, and no one else is around.

…...And I always struggle to resist becoming lost within those deep-sea blue eyes….

—But, I turned back to Ravel's family with a weak smile and scratched my cheek.

"...Ehehe, forgive me, but that's the only answer I have…. I'm really sorry for my indecisiveness. I understand if you're disappointed…."

My head went down a little bit when it was quiet…. I wish I could've done better than that, but…..

"Not at all."

(—!)

I was surprised to hear a denial and lifted up my head. Lady Phenex was looking at me with a kind smile…

"There's nothing wrong with having uncertainties about the future. It is natural for young ones like you to feel that way. If anything, it's a sign of maturity that you have come to realise those things in such a clear perspective. It shows that you are "grown up". That sort of ability to recognise things above yourself is important in the Devil world, especially if you plan to live up to those expectations you've set up during the rating game. They are high expectations, I must admit. But, I would hope, for your sake, and for the sake of many others, you try your best to live up to them. Right, Ise-kun?"

...With the end of Lady Phenex's words striking a chord in my heart, and her smile easing my worries, I was overcome by a newfound determination again…

"...Yes… Yes, that's right! I'll try my best! Thank you very much!"

"Ufufu, it's no problem, dear. Thank you for being honest with us."

That's right! She's absolutely right! Sometimes, indecisiveness is unavoidable! It's one of the many obstacles that we come to face in life, especially when it comes to some of the most important things! If I am feeling conflicted on what to do in my future, it's because I care so much about the outcome! And if I ever get scared about what will happen, I don't have to be, because I will have people who support me along the way! That's one thing that I've learned very well in my time in Grigori!

That's right! I can do this! I will do this! I'll start with the most important steps first, and make my way up from there! If I can't ever find my path, I'm sure there will be someone or something to help me find it again! I won't be lost forever! That, I am confident in!

After being brought back down to reality, I let out a little sigh of relief, followed by an awkward laugh.

"...Ahahaha, I'm really glad… I was worried that because of my indecisiveness, you may have lost confidence in me, and maybe that would make you want to give up on me entirely…. So, I was really scared, hehe…"

I blurted out my feelings in an honest manner again. To which, Lady Phenex just smiled again.

"Oh, no, no, of course not. Taking your time with such important subjects is very natural. I'm not such an impatient woman that I would pressure you constantly about it— perhaps unlike some others."

Ah... Again, the moment she said that, I felt an awkwardness come up in the atmosphere…. Well, I'm just going to take it as something good for now….

"Despite that, there are some things I can't help but feel enthusiastic about. For example: Hyoudou Ise-kun, how are your parents? We personally have never had the chance to meet them, but I'm sure if they raised you, they must be pleasant folk."

She suddenly asked me a random question like that out of the blue.

"Eh? Ah, my parents! Well, they're, um, they're fine. They're just the average Japanese folk, you know. Nothing much about it. Um, w-why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing much. It's just that I would like to meet them someday. Who knows, in the future, it could become necessary for us to associate ourselves with them. Our daughter is living in the same house, after all."

"A-Ah, is that so? Well, um, y-you're welcome to come and give them a visit anytime… Um, but, I'm not sure if it can be anytime soon though. I have some things to handle when I get home, so…."

Lady Phenex waved her hand in response to me.

"Oh no, not anytime soon. As I said, I'd like to meet them "someday", not necessarily anytime soon. Just one day. After all, I'm a patient woman, remember?"

"A-Ahaha, right. Of course…"

Why do I feel like I'm agreeing to something that is technically good, but also a very important moment?... Well, whatever… Honestly, I'm perfectly willing to take that risk. I can't really see it being bad in either outcome….

...But you know…. Being here is starting to make me realise something in a new perspective…. That being….

…..This entire event feels very reminiscent of those times at Gremory castle…. And I'm having a hard time wondering about those times…. Whether or not that's good, I'm not entirely sure ….. In fact, I'm starting to feel an odd feeling when I remember those times…. Possibly…..

….Frustration?...

Rustling…

"Hm?"

While I was thinking, I noticed something particular about the party's atmosphere change. The music seems to have changed. Moreover, isn't that slow dance music? And just as I started questioning it, whaddya know, there were servants who started slow dancing. Huh, this celebration is really like a full-fledged social gathering.

Lady Phenex noticed me staring at the dancing servants.

"Well, they deserve to celebrate too, I believe."

"Hm? Ah, yes, of course. I agree."

Still though, can't say that I'm not surprised. It's not something you would expect. It's almost like the Phenex family is so happy with the rating game's result that they are letting everybody associated with the clan celebrate. They're really happy about my victory…. Or maybe, they're really happy about something else that happened in the game…

"...!"

—While having my attention focused on the dancing servants, I had an idea to do something risky. It was just something my brain came up with out of the blue, and now as a result, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then, my heart started beating crazy fast.

Whoa…. Is that something I should do?... D-Do I even have the confidence to do something so bold?... What if…. What if I….

While I was filled with doubts about something, Azazel's voice played back in my head.

("It's okay for you to have confidence, Ise. Just believe in yourself. And if you ever have doubts, just remember that we believe in you. Both Ravel, and this lousy sensei. Right?")

…...Yeah. Thanks, sensei….

"Ara, is something the matter, Ise-kun?"

Lady Phenex asked me curiously, who had stood up from his seat. I simply swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled meekly.

"Ah, no…. It's just… Um, you wouldn't mind if we joined the dances or anything, right?"

I asked Lady Phenex unassuredly. She smiled and nodded.

"Oh, yes, of course. By all means, this is your celebration after all. You may do as you please."

"I-I see. T-Thank you… Um, in that case…"

Gulp…. With that, I gathered up all of my courage and did the unthinkable….

"...W...Would you care to join me in a dance.."

I bowed my head and extended my hand in front of me.

"...Ravel?"

—I asked Ravel to dance with me.

[!?—?!]

Many of the expressions of those around, including Ravel, became shocked. But I refused to back down, and held out my shaking hand anyway, hoping that she would take it.

I'm afraid. Even though I know that it could never happen, I'm always burdened by the subconscious fear that I may be left behind. The fear that, one day, Ravel may come to detest me and leave me. It's been made clear to me many times, that isn't the case. That will never be the case. I know that in my heart. I know. And yet, I can still fear the thought of it. There shouldn't be any possibility of it, and yet, I fear it. Is it because I'm weak? Am I pathetic for feeling this way? I've asked myself this many times. My answer is usually: I don't know. But, your answer, it never changes. Your answer is always the same.

("No.")

—I feel a soft sensation press down on my palm.

"...I would love to—"

And just like that, you always blow away any doubts that I had before.

"...Ise-sama."

Ravel accepted my hand with a timid, but dazzling smile…. And I felt my chest fill up with confidence again.

"Excuse us.."

I excused us from the table while leading Ravel by the hand, leaving the table completely silent. With that, I walked Ravel towards the ballroom dance floor… and we began dancing together.

"...Hey…"

"...H-Hello…"

For some reason, Ravel and I greeted each other awkwardly when we started dancing, as if we weren't just speaking to each other before...

"...Um, t-thanks for dancing with me…"

"...N-No, t-t-thank you for inviting me to…."

"...Y-Yeah, of course… I mean, who else would I ask, ehehe…."

"..."

"..."

It went dead silent and awkward after I said that. Guuuuuh! Holy shit, I'm so nervous! And I'm not the only one! Ravel's voice is super shaky! It sounds like she's fighting hypothermia! Oh, man! What was i even thinking?! I've gotta admit, I think I got a lot of balls doing what I did! I mean, asking Ravel to dance right in front of her family?! I've never made such a ballsy move in my life! I think facing Atlas was like a stroll in the Underworld compared to this!

But, man, do I NOT regret it at all! I mean, getting to dance with Ravel…. That's worth getting tortured for! As much as I feel like a nervous wreck, I also feel extremely happy! Whoever it was that blessed me with this opportunity, Maou, dead God, or Buddha— thank you very much! Ah, well, maybe it wasn't Maou….

Aaaah, now that I realise it, Ravel's body is much smaller than mine, huh! She's shorter and smaller than me! There are times when I forgot our size difference, but honestly, I could care less. Whether or not she's shorter or smaller doesn't matter to me. What matters most is that it's Ravel. And everytime I come into close contact with her body, I immediately recognise it. It's almost like I've become familiar with it….

Her smell, her size, her softness, her texture….

..! Uh oh! Now I'm thinking back to that time in Grigori, when we almost got close to doing "that"! No! No, bad little Ise! Down, boy! Down! Seriously, knock it off! Otherwise, Ravel might notice it pressed up against her! We're too close for this! —No, wait! Don't start thinking about her softness now!

"...!"

Oh no, she noticed! She definitely noticed it! Guuuuuuh, look away! Avert your gaze, Ise!

"...I-I'm sorry…."

I said it in a really small voice because of how embarrassed I felt. Ravel's face became red, but she didn't change anything about her position.

"...I-I-I-It's okay….. I-It's Ise-sama, so… I'm fine with it…."

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh, Ravel, you're too kind! You can't say it like that! That only makes me feel worse about it! Please, scold me instead!

"Ufufufu~"

Hm? I heard an odd, but also familiar sound from nearby me. When I looked around, I noticed a pair behind us.

"Hello, we've come to join you."

What the..?! It's Ravel's parents! Lord Phenex and Lady Phenex are dancing together here! Ah, and there's Raiser with one of his servants! Oh, he doesn't look very happy…. It kinda looks like they made him dance…. I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Phenex did that, honestly….

Looks like my group was left behind with Ruval. They're having fairly normal conversation, I think. But, my group looks awkward…..

Well, I'd rather just enjoy this moment properly, so I'll ignore it. But, one thing I can't really ignore is…. The couple that is dancing not too far away from us, making Ravel and I have embarrassed expressions...

"Don't mind us, ufufufu~."

No, well…. There's really no way to ignore you… Look, Ravel's entire head is red. And because of how embarrassed she feels, she's burying her face in my chest. I mean, I'm extremely happy about it, but I also can't ignore the fact that you're staring at us….

Ah, Lord Phenex gave me an apologetic smile….. So "we have no power over the woman", is what you're saying, huh….

Outside of the Phenex castle, the same grounds we arrived from. It's been a total of 5 hours since we got here. And now, the celebration is finally over.

"Please do come again, Hyoudou Issei-san. It was a pleasant time having you over."

"Yes, and we're sorry again that our second eldest son couldn't attend. He was busy after all."

Lord Phenex and Lady Phenex both smiled at me we were about to part ways. I smiled back, having fully enjoyed my time here as well.

"Ah, thank you very much. I'm honoured. And, it's no big deal. I don't mind it."

Today was something, I must say. A lot of conversation between me and the Phenex family, something I never would've imagined happening a few months ago. A lot of that conversation was light hearted or small talk, but there was also a lot of it that was insightful as well. I actually feel better off having come here. It's the type of experience that makes you feel like you've gained something.

And, most of all, it really made me feel like I belonged, somehow.

"And always remember that you are welcome to return, or contact us at any time, dear. Think of this place as your home, and everyone here as your family. My, with that new form of yours, it can even be said that you're an honorary member of the Phenex clan."

I felt awkward about what Lady Phenex said, but still couldn't help but smile.

"Ahahaha…. T-Thank you very much…. It's an honour, really…. I'm really happy that you think that way of me, even if I don't think I deserve it…."

"Oh no, nonsense, dear. You've done a lot for our daughter, and enough for our family in general. You're well deserving enough of that honour. You've well earned it."

"Oh, when it comes Ravel, that's just…. I mean, no way…. She's done way more for me than I could ever imagine, there's no way that I compare."

"Oh, trust me, dear. She begs to differ."

Ravel shouted at her mother with a red face.

"O-Okaa-sama!"

"See? She wouldn't get so flustered if it wasn't true. So then it goes both ways, doesn't it, Ise-kun?"

"Er, well, that's…."

"Right~?"

Guh, I can't fight that persuasive smile, it looks way too much like Ravel's!

"...Kuh, yes, ma'am…."

"There. See? It's fine then."

Uuuu, I was easily defeated…. The power of the mother is strong indeed….

"Ah, by the way, that reminds me. You also have the right to call us "Otou-sama" and "Okaa-sama", if you want."

[—?!]

My eyes popped out of their sockets with that suggestion. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! R-Ravel's parents, calling them Otou-sama and Okaa-samaaaaaaaa?! No way! There's no way I'm worthy of such an honour, right?! I mean, look! Even Raiser is shocked, and Ravel looks like she's about to shut down!

R-Ravel's parents! Calling them my parents is..! Is..!

…...Uh oh, I really wanna do that…

"...T-Thank you very much…. I'll consider it…."

Aaaaaaaaaaaah, you fucking wuss! Go die in a hole!

"Ufufu, of course. Take your time. I am a patient woman after all. Ah, also, you may call Raiser and Ruval "Onii-sama" as well."

"Haaah?!"

While Ruval had a completely normal reaction, Raiser reeled back in shock.

"There's no way in hell he's going to call me that, baa-san (old woman)!"

Yeesh! Raiser said that with a hard jab towards his own mother! What a disrespectful son! Though I'm not surprised, since it's him, and he cleverly can't control his anger well.

Ah, but, Lady Phenex had a creepy smile on her face that twitched just once.

"...Raiser, be respectful towards your family. We raised you better, didn't we~?"

For the first time in my life, I saw Raiser visibly flinch and turn pale…. He spared no hesitation in shaking my hand with a fake smile.

"Y-Yeah, that's right! You can call me whatever you want, no problems here!"

Lady Phenex's smile became less creepy after that.

"Good. It's better that the boys get along."

Lady Phenex said that, but Raiser leaned in and whispered to me.

"If you ever call me "Onii-sama", I will scorch you."

"Ah…"

Of course, he said that and pulled away…. Yep, that's just about what an "Onii-sama" would say, realistically. Especially if it's someone like Raiser….. Well, at least Lady Phenex gave him a creepy glare for a quick second.

—With that, the Phenex family gave their final goodbyes, including their huge mass of servants, and we prepared to transport by magic circle.

"Goodbye, Hyoudou Issei-san. It was a pleasure."

"It's been a pleasure, Issei-kun."

"Please visit anytime, Ise-kun."

"...See ya…"

[[[[ Goodbye~! ]]]]

I waved back at them with a smile.

"Goodbye! Thank you for having us! I had a really great time!"

The Phenex family waved us off, one of them very unenthusiastically, and the magic circle shined a bright colour. Lady Phenex gave me her last words as we departed.

"Be sure to take care of daughter!"

….And to that, I smiled widely and pumped my chest with a fist.

"Yes! With every fiber of my being! I promise!"

—And in a flash, we were teleported right back to the basement of our home.

SHIIIN!

…

"Ah, we're back."

I gave my body a stretch after being worked out all day, mentally and emotionally.

"Woo, man. What a celebration. I'm tired, just like that!"

I noticed it while I was stretching myself. Rias was holding an odd expression, as if thinking deeply about something. I wondered whether I should ask about it or not. Maybe I wondered if it even concerned me….

"What is it, Rias?"

I decided to ask out of curiosity. Rias snapped out of it and shook her head.

"Oh, no. It's nothing. It's just…. Well, it certainly didn't feel as if it was a "celebration for Gremory"..."

"Hm? What was that? Your voice is too low."

"Oh, nothing… Nevermind. It's fine, since it was really Ise's celebration anyway. As long as you enjoyed it, that's what matters."

"Oh. Well, I definitely enjoyed it, I can tell you that much."

Rias made another weird expression, but I didn't pay attention to it much.

"Hey, Ravel. You mind making me something? I ate a lot back at the castle, but I think all that dancing made me burn it up."

"Of course. Ise-sama has a naturally big appetite, so it's only natural. But I'll refrain on the dessert, since you already had some at the party."

"Aw, man…"

|Rias|

…..

Ise….asked Ravel to dance… Well, it was technically a celebration for the two of them, in commemoration of Ravel becoming Ise's manager and winning the game….. So, it only makes sense that he would ask her, since it would be odd not to…

Still…

"...Rias-oneesama?"

I shook off those thoughts when Asia called out to me.

"Eh? Ah, it's nothing, Asia. I was just thinking. Come. Let's go upstairs before we get left behind."

Again, I must be overthinking it..

Part 2

|Ise|

It was the next day.

I had a really great time being at the Phenex castle yesterday. I got to meet most of Ravel's family face-to-face, I got to eat some good food, have pleasant conversations— and, most of all— I got to slow dance with Ravel!

Seriously, that happened! I didn't just dream it! It was real! I really got to dance with Ravel! Aaaah, happy days! Man, life has been good lately! And now that I'm all healed up, I still have another 3 days off from school!

Haaah, yep, life is good.

…..Now all that's left is to find out what the hell Azazel meant by "temporary guests"...

Ding!

While I was sitting on the sofa of my living room, I received a mail on my phone. I checked it out and it turned out to be a message from Azazel.

The message read: [They're on the way.]

"They're on the way"... Who's on the way?! Why didn't you at least give me more of a hint than "You're familiar with them"?! You say that I will be thinking of it as a "pleasant" experience, but then you countered it by saying that I "shouldn't trust" you!? This damn sensei!

Ding-dong~!

"Ah, they're here."

I stood up from the couch and started to make my way to the door. The various members of my household became curious about who was here.

"Who's here, Ise?"

Xenovia asked me that. Oh yeah, I didn't tell them…. Oops.

"...Being completely transparent with you, I have no idea.."

"What?"

I couldn't really give them an answer besides that, so I just walked towards the front door…. Who could it be...

Dakun..

"Good morning. It has been a short while, hasn't it, Hyoudou Issei-san."

"Ise!"

" " " "Oppai Dragon!" " " "

The moment I opened the door, I was jumped onto by multiple little bodies. And there was also two very familiar faces amongst the group of people.— Scratch that. Multiple familiar faces.

"Wha..?! Kunou, Yasaka-san! —Teh, Yorimitsu-san and Sun Wukong-sama too!?"

[—?!]

I was truly shocked to see who had arrived! It's a whole little group of people that I knew! Yasaka-san, Kunou, Yorimitsu-san, Sun Wukong-sama— and even that lady from Kyoto that had just recently given birth to the 'fifth' Nekomata boy is here! The kids from the castle are here too! Little Ryosuke and the other 3 girls, they're the ones that mobbed me! Ah, there's also an unrecognisable woman here too, but I'm more concerned with everyone else! Why are all of these people here?!

Just as I was wondering that, Rias and a few others from my group came up to the door and asked the same question.

"...This is—! Is that the First Generation Sun Wukong-sama! And the Kyuubi-sama as well! Why? What brings you here?"

Sun Wukong-sama was the first to answer, with a puff of smoke.

"Hoh, rather than questioning us, wouldn't it be fine to invite us in first?"

"Hoho, so, we've come."

We moved from the entrance to the living area of my house. I was sitting on one couch with Rias next to me, and our "guests" were on the one across from us.

Also, I have five kids (including Kunou) sitting on different parts of my body…

"So when Azazel said "guests", he actually meant you guys?! That sly governor! Why didn't he just tell me about it?! I would've prepared a proper welcome or something!"

Even though I was surprised, I was pretty happy to see them overall. This is certainly better than whatever I could have been expecting! I thought it was gonna be something dangerous!

Rias questioned it from the side next to me. Speaking of which, why are we the only ones out of our group sitting down?

"Ise, you knew about this?"

"Hm? Ah, yeah. Well, kinda. Azazel just told me that we would have guests, but he didn't tell me who it would be. Honestly, that bird brain! He could've just told me from the start and spare me all of the stress! If it was just gonna be you guys, then I would've had no reason to worry about something dangerous happening!"

Although I was having a lighthearted take on the situation, Rias made a frown instead.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

I was a bit confused to say the least, so I raised my brow.

"Huh? What do you mean? What difference would your opinion make?"

—Rias's eyes went wide, and she turned her head away. After that, she spoke in a smaller voice.

"...No, it's not like I would deny them or anything… It's just that, since this is my and Ise's house, I thought I would have the right to know…"

I struggled, and failed, to hold back a wry smile.

"Well, too late for that now, haha."

—For some reason, I felt the members of my house become a little tense after that. Well, due to having guests, the best idea was to ignore it.

"But, I don't understand, Yasaka-san. Wasn't it impossible for you to leave Kyoto for long periods of time? Since Kyoto relies on your Chakra connection or something, I thought you needed to be there?"

I asked Yasaka-san about something I was curious about. I remember during the hero-faction incident, they were telling us that she was a necessary component to keeping Kyoto stable or something.

Yasaka-san took a sip of the tea that was served to her and nodded.

"Yes, that's right. It's true that I cannot leave Kyoto for long periods of time, since I am necessary component to keeping the energy balanced there. Being the Kyuubi who is the centre of Kyoto's leylines, I have access to the immense spiritual power flowing throughout Kyoto, which has the capability to provide me with a nearly endless supply of energy. However, due to this trait, I cannot leave Kyoto for very long, and my death would destabilise the city. —However, thanks to the efforts of the Fallen-Angel governor, and his organisation, it was made possible that I could depart from Kyoto temporarily. 3 days, to be exact."

So it was Azazel's doing after all! Well, of course, if he was planning to do something like this, then he surely would've planned for it like that. But, how does that work exactly?

"That's great, but, how did they do it? How was such a thing accomplished?"

"It was possible through a new system that was implemented throughout Kyoto's leylines. Grigori invented a mechanism which is placed within the centre of Kyoto. This mechanism acts as a temporary point of integration which handles the flow of energy in a stable manner, the same way that I would if I was present. The only catch is that there are many powerful Youkai in my ranks that are needed to keep watch over it, as to maintain its stability. But, thanks to this system, it's possible for me to leave Kyoto for longer amounts of time than before. So long as there would those who keep the mechanism stabilised, I would be able to leave Kyoto. Thus, I am here."

Wow, she gave this very complicated but interesting explanation. So that's how it works…. Wait, but if I were to think about it correctly…. That would mean..!

"Wait, Yasaka-san! If that's how the system works, then wouldn't that technically mean that you could Kyoto for however long as you want, so long as there is somebody good enough to stabilise the mechanism?!"

I raised my voice to that astounding revelation, and Yasaka-san nodded!

"Yes, that's right. Theoretically, as long as there were beings keeping the mechanism stabilised, I would not even be technically needed. I would be able to leave Kyoto, or possibly even pass away, without the city destabilising. So, it is indeed a major fix to one of the biggest stipulations in my existence. However, that also wouldn't account for the fact that Youkai are needed to keep it stabilised around the clock, and I wouldn't want to overwork them with such an arduous task. Hence, why we will only be staying a few days."

Oh, I see! So it's theoretically possible to stay away from Kyoto for very long, but there are still other factors that would need to be taken into account. Things like workers and such. I see, so that's why it's only a few days.

What a considerate woman! Even now, she still takes consideration for the Youkai working overtime! It's really one of her most charming points! Ah, well, she's just charming in general.

"So that's how it is! Well, it may have some conditions, but I think it's a great step forward! Who knows, maybe this would open up the possibility to creating all types of different systems that would help out Kyoto, you know!"

Sun Wukong-sama nodded his head to my exclamation.

"Hmm, indeed, red-boy. That's a good observation. I see you still haven't lost any of the brains after your fight with the "Lion-king". I also noticed that you were able to use the lessons I taught you to full effect?"

"Of course! That training was absolutely vital to my progress! It was the most insightful training I've received in my life! I feel like I may not have won if I didn't have that knowledge! I'm eternally grateful!"

To my over-the-top declaration of gratitude, Sun Wukong-sama laughed.

"Fahaha, is that so? Well, I'm glad. Being able to train the Sekiryuutei, it was also an invaluable experience for me as well. Who would've thought? Hmph, I have really lived too long. —That being said, it should be obvious as to why I'm here, red-boy. You understand, don't you?"

(—!)

I became excited by the sudden possibility.

"Wha— C-Could it be..?! You're here to train me again?!"

Sun Wukong-sama let out some smoke with a smirk.

"Well, truthfully, I am here on some other official business. But, training you a bit more would be fine too."

At his confirmation, I raised my arms, "jumping" for joy. Metaphorically, of course. Otherwise, I would've knocked all of the kids off of me.

"YES! Oji-saru has come to train again, hahaha!"

"Heh. Well, again, I'm here for something else. But, it's flattering that you're happy about it so much."

"Ah, but if Oji-saru is the one here on business, then why are Yasaka-san and Kunou and everybody here?"

I asked the next question that piqued my curiosity. Instead of Yasaka-san being the one answering, Kunou made a sad pout from her place in my lap.

"...But, Ise said that would we could come whenever…. Was that wrong?"

KYUN!

Guh, my heart was pierced by a sharp arrow! I can't say anything bad to such a cute, disheartened expression! Especially when your tail just falls down sadly like that!

I shook my head and smiled brightly at Kunou.

"What, that's not it! —As a matter of fact, yeah! You can come over whenever you want! No reasons or excuses needed! I said it already, my home is your home! So you can stay as long as you want!"

[Yaaaaay!]

As soon as I finished that, all of the kids started cheering. Even the shy Ryosuke is cheering! Man, how could I ever deny that?!

While the kids were getting excited, the red haired lady with a baby in her arms started rocking her arms. Ah, the lady from the castle, right. Uh oh, looks like the noise from the kids is making the baby wake up!

I placed a finger over my mouth and tried to calm the kids down.

"Ah, everyone. The baby is gonna get upset, so not too loud, okay? Shh."

When I did that, the kids all imitated me, while going "shh" at each other. Oooh, too cute!

After the kids settled down, Yasaka-san motioned to her three lady friends beside her and began introductions of them.

"Issei-san, these three are my extra attendees, two of whom you've already met. Yorimitsu, a distant cousin of Kunou's— Aika, and her new little baby boy, Hiro— And finally, Go-chan, whom you have come to meet for the first time."

After Yasaka-san gave those little introductions, the ladies introduced themselves to me properly, with a head bow. First, starting with Yorimitsu-san, who I have met before.

"H-Hello, Ise-dono. Last that we met was under...unusual circumstances… Regardless, I apologise for that time and hope that you have not come to dislike me as a result of it…"

Yorimitsu-san apologised for what happened during our first meeting… Wow, she is acting a bit different compared to that time. She's a lot less… Um, "sly", I guess…. Well, due to that, I was left feeling a bit embarrassed when I remembered it…

"Ahaha, n-no, it's no big deal… Um, it's all in the past, so I don't mind it too much… But, um, thanks for your consideration at that time? Haha…. Sorry, that wasn't very funny…"

"Ehehe, well, you're the Sekiryuutei-dono after all, so it wasn't a hard choice… Ehehe, just kidding…"

Aaaah, man, that was really awkward… I'm glad that most everybody doesn't know the circumstances behind that interaction…. Anyway, after Yorimitsu-san was done, the red haired lady in a brown kimono next to her introduced herself with a bow.

"I-It is an honour to meet you once again, Sekiryuutei-dono. I'm sorry for my intrusion upon your home. I will try my best not to bother."

"Ah, no problem, it's no big deal. You're very welcome here. Um, thank you for letting me hold, uh, Hiro, last time."

"O-Of course! Likewise, thank you for holding him, it was a great honour! And thank you for your hospitality!"

Ah, she bowed her head twice… She seems to have a really high opinion of me if she thinks me holding little Hiro is such a big deal….

Lastly, there was the last woman, who I didn't know. If I remember, Yasaka-san called her "Go-chan". She's a pretty woman with brown coloured skin, emerald-green eyes, black hair and a black fluffy tail. She's wearing a purple coloured kimono with a black obi. She also some red marks shaped like fangs on her cheeks that remind me of 'Mononoke-hime'.

The woman greets me with a playful salute and toothy grin.

"Hey, nice to meet you, Sekiryuutei-dono! My name's Gō, but you can call me "Go-chan"!"

'Go-chan', huh?... That's usually considered a guy's name, isn't it?... Hmm, I became curious about it, so I asked her.

"Go-chan…. Usually, you would think that's a guy's name, but…. Is that name based off of the prominent female figure during the Sengoku period, [Oeyo] or "Gō"?"

The moment I asked that, Go-chan jumped up and started shouting.

"Yes, that's right! Exactly! Because of the name "Gou" being a boy's name, so many people keep thinking that I am man before they meet me! But in truth, it's a name that started with a woman as its origin! Just because it isn't feminine doesn't mean that it isn't a girl's name!"

That's what she said….

"...I see…"

Noticing how random her outburst was, Go-chan sat back down and rubbed her neck with an awkward smile.

"Ehehe, sorry… I got worked up…"

Yasaka-san then gestured to Go-chan in comparison to herself.

"Unlike the rest of us, excluding First Shodai, Go-chan is actually the only one who isn't a Kitsune. She's a different type of Youkai that tends to be more closely associated with canine species of animal. Some refer to them as a type of Kitsune, but that's incorrect. It's more accurate to simply label them as a subset of [beast-youkai]."

I was surprised to hear that explanation! Go-chan isn't a Kitsune like the rest of them, but actually something different!?

"Wait, so that means that there's Youkai like the Kitsune, but who have qualities of different animals?! So that means that Go-chan is like a "dog girl" or something?"

Go-chan was the one to answer my question with enthusiasm. So much, in fact, that her black tail was wagging back and forth behind her….

"Actually, "wolf girl" would be more accurate, if you're looking for a simple way of putting it. But, yeah! There's all types of beast-youkai out there! There are ones related to procyonids, monkeys, foxes, wolves, rodents, birds, and even chiroptera! There's really a plethora of them! And that's not even considering those types which are not considered "Youkai" from other mythologies!"

She listed off all of those types of beast-youkai that apparently existed. Whoa, holy shit! There's really that many?! Wait, 'procyonids' and 'chiroptera'?... There's "raccoon girls"?! And "bat girls" too?! Even though we have Devils and Succubi already!? And "rodents"?! You mean there's girls out there who have mouse ears and a pink tail?! I have no idea how to take that! I wonder if they tend to be smaller or something….

"Now, with all of that being said.."

With those introductions being finished, Yasaka-san and all of the lady guests bowed their heads towards me again.

" " " "Thank you for your hospitality." " " "

After they did that, even the children got up and did a cute bow.

" " " " "Thank you!" " " " "

KYUN!

"Guha!"

I clutched at my heart as a result of it being shot. This cuteness…. It is fatal…..

"Kuku, with that being settled, it is my time to depart for now."

For some reason, Sun Wukong-sama stood up from the couch. Huh, he's leaving?

"What, you're going somewhere, Oji-saru?"

"Indeed, red-boy. As I said, I have official business to do, but don't worry. We'll have a bit of time to train tomorrow. Until then, entertain Kyuubi-sama and her guests, alright?"

"Yes, sir! Roger that!"

I gave Sun Wukong-sama a salute, and the kids imitated me. Kuh, I'm seriously gonna die from the constant cute attacks.

—With that, Sun Wukong-sama left from my home, and the rest of the guests stayed behind.

"Alright then. Um, I'm not sure how to be the greatest host, but… I'm gonna take a guess and say that we should eat?... Um, is anyone hungry, at least?"

When I asked that question to my houseguests, the children immediately responded before the adults by hopping around.

"Me, me, me! I'm hungry!"

"Me too! I'm hungrier!"

"Hungwy…"

Even Kunou was raising her hand and bouncing, despite the fact that she's a princess.

"I-I am hungry as well!"

Okay, well, the kids are definitely in agreement about that…. What about the adults?...

"Hmm, yes, I am quite famished. I suppose the proper way to start the day off is with some healthy lunch."

"I-I agree with Yasaka-sama, Ise-dono."

"Y-Yes, I do not mind eating either, Sekiryuutei-dono!"

"Yeah, I'm starving! Ah, I'd like something meaty, if you don't mind!"

Ah, looks like the adults are hungry too… Okay, so…. Shit, what do I do?... I've never been a proper host before… Especially to such big time guests. It almost feels like a test…

(—!)

Wait, I just thought of something! Could it be, this whole thing is actually like a test from Azazel?! Is he giving me another trial?! I thought those were over!

Well, it could make sense. The timing of it is pretty "coincidental". Grigori develops a mechanism that acts as a possible solution to the "Kyoto-kyuubi dilemma", and at the same time, Azazel sends the Kyuubi to my house. He probably used the excuse that they are "testing" the system's capabilities by having Kyuubi-sama stay somewhere outside of Kyoto. And that place just so happens to be my house…

There's no way this is just coincidence…. That damn, sly governor…. Well, I can't even be mad about it, since it's really a good thing… But, if it's unrelated, I wonder what Sun Wukong-sama is here for then….

Ah, whatever! No time to think about it! I have to learn to be a good host first! It's an important skill to have as a future king and High-Class Devil! So, if this is my test, then I've gotta treat it that way! C'mon, let's go! What do we do, think, think!

Uuuuuuuuuuuuumm..!

"Asia, Rossweisse-san..! Please start cooking some food for our guests! Don't make anything too heavy or the kids won't be able to play afterward! And make sure it has a good balance of vegetables! —And Ravel, please make some dessert for after dinner tonight! In the meantime, Akeno-chan and Irina, you guys set the table!"

—Before I knew it, I was giving everybody in my group orders…. And they were all looking at me weirdly…. Oh…. Please, just do it for me, this is all I ask….

But, of course, before I even had time to worry about it, I was saved by my guardian angel. Or rather, my guardian devil. Ravel stood up courteously and made her way to the kitchen after a bow.

"Of course, Ise-sama."

Ravel! She listened! And with no hesitation! Uuu, Ravel, thank yooou! I don't know if you were already sensing my tension, or just agreed without thought, but either way, you always support me no matter what!

Witnessing Ravel's dedication, Rossweisse-san, and the rest of my group, quickly followed suit.

"Well, there's no helping it. If it's for the sake of Kyuubi-sama and her guests, then of course, it's my duty as a servant of Gremory to oblige."

Rossweisse-san followed Ravel to the kitchen. Seeing that, Asia also ran with them.

"M-Me too! Wait for me!"

Akeno-chan and Irina then made their way to the kitchen shortly after.

"Ufufufu, of course, accommodating our guests is what Gremory is known for."

"..Well, I'm no servant of Gremory, but I'm at least a part of the club. And it's for the Kyuubi-sama after all. That's why, I'll help out."

They're doing it! They're actually doing it! Success! Maybe I should've toned down the energy when I said it, but I was nervous! Next time, I'll try my best to keep my cool!

"Okay! Well, then…. Um, in the meantime, we'll just… Uh, Smalltalk?..."

I was confused on what to do next, but just assumed that the normal thing to do would be to make some conversation. Yasaka-san started it off by asking me.

"So, Issei-san, are your parents home? I haven't seen them. Could they be away?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah, they're gone right now. After I came back from the game, I decided to send them off on a little vacation. It was the least I could do as a little, um… repayment, for all of the dumb stuff I've done over the years…. I plan to do more for them, but that was a good start, I think. My dad always wanted to go to Germany, after all. They're under the watchful protection of Grigori right now, so they should be okay. Even if it is that freaky Armaros guy…"

Yeah, hopefully it's alright to leave it in their hands, but…. Well, that guy is…. Y'know….

"Is that so? Well, that's too bad. I would have liked to meet them."

Yasaka-san makes a disappointed pout. Guh, it resembles Kunou's! Or more like, they resemble each other, but still! What is it with everybody's mum being so darn cute?!

"Ahaha, well, they'll be back at some point. Probably not until you've left though. Ah, speaking of parents, what about your husbands? Were they okay with you guys coming here?"

To my question, the girls answered individually, starting with Yasaka-san, who just waved her hand.

"Oh, my former mate? That's not something you have to worry about."

Ueeh, Yasaka-san waved that off pretty easily… Let's hope they're not having problems… Wait, "former"?

"I don't have one, Ise-dono…. Ah, but that's not like an invitation or anything…. Well, not that I'm banning you or anything…."

Yorimitsu-san just answered me in an awkward manner, as always…

"A-Ah, my mate is busy at home. Of course, he had no problems with me coming here."

So far, Aika-san is the only one who didn't answer weirdly. Until...

"Nope, don't have one. I'd rather work out."

Ah, Go-chan just said it like that, with no interest…. She'd rather work out? I guess she's a sporty girl? Well, she does have a pretty energetic attitude, so far as I can tell.

"Oppai Dragon!"

Suddenly, the kids started pulling on my sleeves together.

"Let's play, let's play!"

"Yeah, let's play!"

The kids want to play? Ah, but I'm talking with the guests… I can't just leave….

"Um, well, kids, I can't just.."

I started getting worried about the situation, but Yasaka-san and the rest just smiled.

"Oh, it's no problem, Issei-san. We can still speak with Rias Gremory-san here. We don't mind."

"Eh, it's really okay?"

"Yes, of course, don't mind us."

"Um, okay…. I guess we can go play then…"

To my agreement, all of the children cheered and started running around.

[Yaaay!]

"Let's go, let's go!"

And just like that, they started pulling on my sleeves, essentially dragging me away. Ahaha, this is going to be a long 3 days, huh… Well, might as well enjoy it.

Part 3

So, just as planned, I played with the kids for a bit, and afterward, we all had lunch together. It goes without saying, all of the kids were sitting with me. With Ryosuke being on my shoulders, Kunou being in my lap, and the rest of the girls surrounding me in their seats together. Ahaha, not gonna get break here, am I? Well, not like it's that bad.

Yasaka-san and the rest of my guests also sat on the same side of the table as me, since I thought that was how it worked. Meanwhile, some of my group sat across from us, or weren't having lunch yet. The food was good, of course, like always.

After that, what was left was just… well, playtime, again.

"Ready or not, here I come~!"

I was playing hide and seek with the kids, looking for them all throughout the large house of mine. To be fair, this is way smaller than the Kyuubi-sama's castle, so it should be way easier to find them. That being said, I should've already known that kids were good at hiding in small places.

"Where are you~?"

While I was on the prowl, acting like a big monster again, I ended up walking into the living area again. Everybody was doing their own thing, but a lot of them were still talking with each other. I couldn't help but flinch a little when they noticed me.

"Ara, Issei-san. Hello there. Playing with the children, I see."

"A-Ah, hello… Yeah, that's right… Um, you didn't happen to see any of them run by here, did you?"

When I asked that, Yasaka-san made an oblivious expression while tilting her head with a finger under her chin.

"Hmm, I don't remember. But, there may just be one around here~"

Yasaka-san then smiled and tilted her head towards the side next to her. It was then that I noticed a very obviously placed blanket next to her with a pronounced shape under it…

"Hoho…"

With a devilish smile, I made my way to Yasaka-san.

"Say, Yasaka-san…. You wouldn't happen to have an extra blanket lying around, would you?... I'm actually a little cold…"

"Hmm, I'm not sure about that. But, it sure is chilly, isn't it~? Maybe we should snuggle up right here…"

"Yeah… Right…here!"

I pulled the blanket off the couch with one swift movement, and a small figure was revealed from underneath.

"Gotcha!"

"Kyaah!"

The little girl squealed as I picked her up and started "eating" her. In other words, I was giving her what you would call a "raspberry" on her tummy.

"The Red Dragon always gets his prey! Brrr!"

"Hyahaha!"

She squirmed and laughed in place until her body went limp, essentially playing dead with her tongue sticking out. They're really too cute!

"Bwahahahaha! And so, the Red Dragon claims his first prey! Who's next!"

Just as I said that, a little figure popped out from around the corner of another room.

"No, Shizune-chan!"

It was Kunou. She flinched when she realised that I was looking back at her.

"Hoho, so it's the princess who's next, huh! Good! Out of all types of girls, pretty little princesses are the Red Dragon's absolute favourite!"

"Kyaah!"

And just like that, Kunou bolted off, and I quickly followed while leaving my first victim behind.

|Rias|

"Hoho, so it's the princess who's next, huh! Good! Out of all types of girls, pretty little princesses are the Red Dragon's absolute favourite!"

"Kyaah!"

After giving that playful threat, Ise ran off after the fleeing Kunou-chan…. I...was left speechless by what I was witnessing.

"...I never would've expected to see Ise so easily getting along with children like this… Did he always play around with them so freely like that?"

I said that aloud, to which Kyuubi-sama responded with a smile.

"Oh, yes, it certainly seems like that. Even when he was staying at the royal castle, he was playing with them just as enthusiastically as this. As a matter of fact, there was even times when I myself would somehow end up becoming wound up in their shenanigans. Though I can't say I disliked it all that much, ufufu."

Kyuubi-sama explained it with amusement. Does she mean to imply that she was also a participant in their games?

...Whatever the case, I am surprised by this turn of events…. I never thought that I would see an event as bizarre as this…. That isn't to say that I think Ise would be bad with children, his fan-base consists of many children after all. But, I do remember Ise having a sense of embarrassment or reflectance towards being a children's mascot before…. Yet, now, he seems to have no reservations about participating in their play time.…. Even with the lot of us around…

"It's admirable, isn't it? The fact that he can so freely spend this time with them, with no shame whatsoever. I'd say that it's a very charming trait to have."

Kyuubi-sama finished by taking a sip of her tea in an elegant manner. The woman beside her, with a baby in her arms, Aika, also agreed with Kyuubi-sama's sentiment.

"Y-Yes, that's right! It's an invaluable trait! Even my mate is bad with his own child, it's disappointing really! Hmph!"

Aika expressed her frustrations with her 'mate' by pouting. It must be difficult, being a mother…. But, being a mother with a husband who is good with children is…

"Ufufu, a man who is good with children, that's the ideal situation. You're thinking the same thing, right, Rias?"

Even Akeno is in agreement…. Well, yes, the thought of that is certainly….

("Hoho, so it's the princess who's next, huh! Good! Out of all types of girls, pretty little princesses are the Red Dragon's absolute favourite!")

….Ahem. W-Well, someone like me would certainly fall under the classification of 'princess'...

"Ara, ara, Rias. Your cheeks have gotten red."

"Wha—!? Quiet, Akeno! They have not, you're only seeing things."

Then, from around the corner that Ise originally disappeared from, a squealing was heard.

"Kyaah!"

"Mwahahahaha! And so, the Red Dragon claims his second victim!"

Ise reappeared from the hallway, this time, with Kunou-chan in tow.

"Alright, Kunou, you lose. Go sit down in the "boneyard" with Shizune-chan."

"Uuu… I'm ashamed…"

Kunou-chan made her way towards the sofa that the other girl sat on, both of them proceeding to play cards with each other. Ise then inspected the room.

"Hmm, doesn't seem like there are any other kids around here…. Although…"

Ise turned to our direction. No, not us. I noticed it when he turned to us, but, the Kyuubi-sama had just gotten up from her place. He directed his gaze towards her, and despite facing the other direction, Kyuubi-sama flinched...

"Ohoho… Now, where are you going, Kyuubi-dono?"

For some reason, Kyuubi-sama answered with an obvious hesitation.

"...To the restroom, of course…"

The expression on Ise's face became mischievous.

"Hoh…. Is that so? Then by all means, go ahead. Ah, but, you don't know where the bathroom is. I'm going to have to guide you there."

"N-No, that's quite alright. I can have one of the ladies lead me there, thank you…"

"Oh, really?... You sure that's not just an excuse to hide away from my sight?"

I wasn't sure what was going on, but it was obvious to me that Ise was making the Kyuubi-sama uncomfortable. So, I intervened.

"Ise, cut that out. You're clearly making Kyuubi-sama uncomfortable. Akeno, would mind showing her to the rest—"

"—Oya, oya, oya! It seems like I have been overcome with a sudden sense of hunger!"

Before I could continue, Ise interrupted me, acting as if he didn't even notice me.

"Ise, what are yo—"

"Iiiiii~ taaaaa~ daaaaaaki— MAAAASSSU!"

"Kyaah!"

[—?!]

—Suddenly, Ise began chasing around the Kyuubi-sama!

"Kyuubi-samaaaaaaa! Why are you running awaaaay~! The Red Dragon just wants to touch your fluffy tails~!"

"No, stay away~!"

I stood up in shock.

"Wha—?! Ise, what are you doing?!"

Despite my shouting, the two of them didn't even notice me, and Ise continued chasing the Kyuubi-sama around the room! That was until, he finally caught up to her. Ise picked the Kyuubi-sama up from behind and brought her to the ground, where he subsequently started tickling her!

"Ora, ora, ora, ora! What's wrong, Kyuubi-sama?! You could take on the former Dragon-King Vritra, but not one measly, untamed prankster dragon?! What's up with that, huh?!"

"Hya— Hahaha! W-Wait, Issei-san— Hyah! There are people around!— Stop— Kyahaha!"

"No can do, Kyuubi-sama! No one can stop the Red Dragon when he's hungry! Especially if it's his against second favourite food, busty, mature queen-sama's!"

"No, Hahaue is being attacked!"

"We can't do anything, Kunou! We're in the graveyard, remember!"

I was left left utterly baffled by this scene.

I-Ise is "playing" with the Kyuubi-sama!? He's tickling her!? They're playing around as if they were siblings! No, perhaps even closer!? Whatever the case, it was true that Ise was fooling around with the leader of the East-youkai faction, the Nine-tails-kyuubi herself!

It was such a shocking scene that even Ravel-chan was speechless! She was the one who had spent the most time with Ise within the past two months, yet she didn't know about this either! It was a truly unbelievable scene!

"Haah, haah…"

After Ise was done tickling Kyuubi-sama, she was left heaving on the floor, with a disheveled appearance. Just from looking at it, it would seem like Ise just did something inappropriate to her. No, in many cases, this would be considered inappropriate..!

But then, Ise directed his gaze towards the other guests sitting on the couch as well.

"Hoho, I almost forgot that the quantity of my targets has increased…"

"Eh, us?!"

The woman Ise seems to have some history with, Yorimitsu, pointed towards herself in shock. He's targeting them as well!? But before Ise could make a move against them, the woman known as Go-san jumped off of the sofa with a giddy smile.

"Oh, oh, I wanna play! I'm up for any type of competition!"

Whoosh!

With one swift motion, Go-san unwrapped and tossed of her kimono, revealing that she was wearing sporty clothing under it. A dark coloured sporty top with sports underwear for her bottom.

"Holy shit, abs!"

It was just as Ise exclaimed, Go-san was revealed to have quite the fit body, being muscular than the average woman. In comparison, even our most physically fit, Xenovia, doesn't really compare.

"C'mon, Yorimitsu! Let's see if this pervy Dragon can catch up to the two of us!"

"Oh, you think I can't catch you two?!"

"Just try it, you self-proclaimed "oppai-master"!"

"You testing me, "wan-chan"?! You wanna see how much I love oppai, I'll show you!"

"You can have 'em if you catch me, so why don't you go ahead and try it?!"

"Ooooooh, now you've got me fired up! Here I come!"

"Bring it! C'mon, Yorimitsu!"

"Eh?! But why me too?!"

The next thing I knew, Ise was now chasing around all of our house guests, including the Kyuubi-sama and her child…. All except for Aika-san, who was nurturing her baby normally….

...Having no power over the situation, I had no choice but to process the scene silently, and let it play out….

….I suppose this is a good thing?... At least, it should definitely mean that our relations with the East-youkai faction are positive...

|Ise|

"Haah, hah!— I've almost got you!"

"Haha! Keep tryin'!"

Go-chan and I came to a standstill, and I was left heaving, with my lungs taking in air in a sporadic manner. Holy shit, Go-chan is a hard catch! She's the only one I still haven't caught! She really is a fit girl! I mean, just look at those tasty fucking abs!

….Alright, maybe that wasn't the right word for it, but damn! Girl is fit! But that doesn't mean I'm giving up!

—I continued chasing Go-chan around until I finally caught her. After two full hours of chasing her, I finally fucking caught her by the waist! Now, it's time for my revenge!

"Taaaake this!"

"Ahahahahaha!"

Once I caught Go-chan, I unleashed an onslaught of tickles on her. I was worried about whether she would even be ticklish, since she had abs like these, but it looks like there were enough tender spots around her belly that caused her to laugh. So, it's a success!

But at some point in the tickling, Go-chan ended up on the floor, and….

"What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

"Um, nothing… it's just…"

Go-chan was holding her arms and legs up in the air, in the same manner that a dog would whenever you scratch their bellies…. Her tail's even swinging around too….

"Nevermind…"

"Hahaha!"

Go-chan laughed and squirmed around as I continued tickling her with a blank face…. Well, a victory is a victory, I guess….

Part 4

It was the first night of the "Youkai homestay". The guests that were staying in my house all got to sleep in the extra unoccupied rooms. Considering that it was already bedtime, everyone in the house was sleeping, and the house was quiet.

…..Well, almost quiet….

(Waaaah! Waaah!)

"Urgh…."

I let out another groan when I realised that there was still a persisting noise that sounded off once every several minutes. Through the walls of my room, I could very clearly hear that sound. The sound of a baby crying.

"...Fuck enhanced hearing…"

I whispered that to myself with a grimace. I wish I didn't have enhanced senses like this, so I didn't have to hear little Hiro crying from one floor above us… Worst part is that, since I'm the Sekiryuutei, I have even more acute senses and higher instincts than the average Devil. So, aside from the other Nekomata in this house, I'm probably one of the few people who can't ignore it so easily. I mean, I'm sure we can all just place magical seals on our rooms that would allow us to be spared from hearing it. But…..

I don't know…. Even if we do that, I can't help but feel like I would still be able to hear it…. Like if some part of me is still telling me that I can still hear it, even when it's silent, and I have to fix it….

….Is that kind of like a paternal instinct?...

Nah, I'm still a kid basically. I can't have those…..

(Waaaah! Waaaah!)

…..But I still can't let it go….

"...Uu, Ise-sama…"

"I'll be back."

I whispered that to the sleeping Ravel, while moving myself out of my place between the girls and off the bed. I quickly and quietly stepped out of the room, and then, made my way up the stairs to the next floor.

Without wasting much effort, I was able to quickly find the room the sound was a emanating from and opened the door.

"That is… Issei-san?"

"S-Sekiryuutei-dono..!"

When I entered the room, I was greeted by the sight of Yasaka-san and Aika-san attempting to calm down the crying Hiro-kun.

"..He won't stop crying, huh?"

I asked with a tired voice. It was already half past 2 am, but Hiro-kun has yet to stop crying completely. I could also tell that Yasaka-san, and most especially Aika-san, were both tired as well. Yasaka-san answered me with a sigh.

"...Yes. He seems to be upset for some reason and won't calm down. It may have to do with being in a new environment."

So it's because he's not used to this places atmosphere or something, huh?... Aika-san realised that I wasn't sleeping, so she started apologising.

"I-I'm sorry, Sekiryuutei-dono..! Usually, I can handle it myself. But if I can't, then he always settles down when Yasaka-sama is around to help. B-But, this time, he just won't calm down no matter what I do..! I'm deeply sorry..!"

Aika-san apologised to me wholeheartedly. Maybe because I was really tired, I wasn't really thinking straight, so I thought there was something I could do. I stepped closer to them while yawning.

"...No, no, it's alright…. He's just scared is all… Probably not comfortable being in some place like this…"

And for some reason, I asked to hold him.

"...Here, let me see him."

Yasaka-san and Aika-san looked at each other dubiously, but I was too sleepy to pay it any mind. Regardless, Aika-san handed me her baby. I took Hiro-kun in my arms and sat down on the side of the bed.

"...He's just uncomfortable, that's all… Yeah, I know the feeling, buddy…. I was never really able to stay over at any of my friends' houses when I was younger…. Never felt comfortable sleeping in somebody else's house, y'know? I get it, I get it…. Y'know, there was one time that I stayed at Rin's house— Ah, I mean Irina… And we watched a scary movie…. Haha, I couldn't even go to sleep the whole night… I just snuck out and went back home…. That was funny…."

—Due to my sleepiness, I was rambling on about things that were completely random. But, little did I know, Hiro-kun had already stopped crying only seconds after I took him into my arms.

"...Are?... It's gotten really quiet…. Hasn't it?..."

Upon realising the silence, I felt my eyes become overcome with a sudden heaviness, and my consciousness faded into a slumber.

…..

…..

When I opened my eyes again, it was already morning.

"Ugh… What…"

I moved my head around to take in my surroundings. This isn't my room…. I'm in one of the extra rooms…. Why am I…

"Ah…"

Just as I was questioning it, I saw that there a was a person sleeping to my left. It was Aika-san. She was sleeping peacefully, with her back turned to me. And, the more important detail….

"Oh, yeah…. Now I remember…"

There was the little body of Hiro-kun lying and sleeping on my chest….

"...Well, whatever…."

The second day of the homestay.

It was early afternoon, and Sun Wukong-sama has returned to train me. We were located in the special training area underneath Gremory. The rest of my group was also here to train, but they were all doing their own thing. Yasaka-san and her guests were just spectating different things going on in the training field, mainly me.

Meanwhile, Sun Wukong-sama was seeing to me personally.

"Alright, red-boy. Do you think you are capable of tapping into the Titan-god's power?"

"I can try."

"Try it."

I sat down in a meditative position, as instructed by Sun Wukong-sama, and attempted to tap into the power of Atlas.

….Alright, how do I do this?... Hmm, let's see. Last time I used Atlas' power was in the match against Sairaorg. But that time was unintentional…. I was overcome by rage, and somehow, that allowed me to tap into it…. I had an idea to ask Sun Wukong-sama about it.

"Neh, Oji-saru. The last time I used the power, I didn't have the opportunity to even properly experience it. I was just angry, and somehow, it felt like I wasn't even the one controlling my body. Azazel even told me that it might've been possible that Atlas' spirit itself took control at times in order to control his own powers. And according to what happened in the fight against Atlas' progeny, that would make sense, since I didn't even feel like I was in control at that time…. And there was also that time in the game, when Atlas' spirit denied me access to his power. So…. If Atlas is the one who is controlling his power, and I have no direct access to it…. What should I do from there?"

I asked Sun Wukong-sama after giving him all that information. Sun Wukong-sama took a long puff from his pipe, like if he was concentrating, and then let it out with his answer.

"Hmm, in that case, you have develop a connection with the spirit then."

(—!)

The answer he gave me was surprising, to say the least.

"Develop a connection to the spirit? You mean like with Ddraig?"

"Mm, indeed. Though, unlike with the Welsh Dragon spirit, this would be much more difficult, I imagine. This is not a spirit that is tied to your existence after all. And just as we tested back in Kyoto, that spirit's consciousness is locked deep within you. It's as if that spirit refuses to rise to the surface. Unsurprising, considering the circumstances behind it. Either way, your first step is to reach that spirit. If you cannot access that power directly, then you must go through the spirit itself."

I see..! So I have start a connection with Atlas! Ah, but, that's gonna be hard, isn't it?... After all, the circumstances behind Atlas' death was that he wanted to be replaced and live as a mountain…. So, if Oji-saru is correct, then Atlas is probably living very reclusively within my being…

Basically, if I want to access Atlas' power, I have to get in connection with Atlas himself…. Well, shit…. This feels like my problem with the Juggernaut Drive…. Ah, except I haven't actually solved that one yet either… I wonder if I could solve this one…

Well, it's worth a shot.

—With that, I tried contacting the spirit of Atlas.

…Hey, Atlas?...

….

…..Um, Mr. Atlas? Are you there?...

….

[Partner, I'm not sure if you'll be able to contact that spirit directly.]

Huh? Ddraig? Why not?

[It seems like Atlas has sealed himself off from you. He may have done it in order to prevent you from accessing his power freely.]

What? Why would he do that?

[The only times in which you were able to bring out his power was during your times of rage. And at those times, he would bring out his consciousness in order to prevent you from causing massive destruction to yourself and the environment. You would imagine that he believes you would be consumed by rage and power, like during the battle with his 'progeny'. In other words, he has no confidence in you.]

Say what?! That's the reason?! He doesn't believe in me?! I'm not sure whether I have the right to be insulted or not, but damn! That's harsh!

...Well, considering how I acted when I was confronted by Hades, and how I reacted to Gasper's defeat…. Yeah, maybe he's right… Maybe it's a power I shouldn't possess…

[Nonsense, partner. Atlas may not have confidence in you, but I do. Regardless of his personal feelings, he made the decision to entrust his power to you during the fight with his "son". Even if he took control at times, there's no denying that you were the one who held himself back from killing Atlas initially. You made the decision to eliminate him in your right mind. You may have lost control shortly afterwards, and during other incidents, but the bottom line is: it is possible for you to use that power. At least to a certain extent. —That's why, I shall contact him myself.]

..?! Ddraig! You would do that?!

[Of course. Ignoring my partner in such a way is disrespect. Disrespect towards you is disrespect towards me as well. I will handle this.]

That's..! Uuooooh, Ddraig! You really are my partner! Thanks!

[Of course. I'll let you know when I've accomplished it.]

I decided to inform Sun Wukong-sama about the situation.

"Oji-saru, it looks like I'm not gonna be able to tap into for now. Atlas' spirit is apparently preventing me from progressing with his power. He doesn't think I can handle it. That's why, Ddraig's gonna try to reach him first."

"Hoh, the Welsh Dragon, ey? I see. Well, if a direct connection is impossible, then it can't be helped. For now, we'll just handle what you're good at."

Then, from out of one of his pockets, Sun Wukong-sama pulled out some familiar bells.

"Try taking these from me again. I'll be doing it seriously this time."

Oh, those are the bells that Sun Wukong-sama used to test me with back in Kyoto!

"You want me to try that again? But I thought I already passed that lesson?"

To that, Sun Wukong-sama gave me a confident smirk.

"Yes, that's true. But I want you to try to take them without even using your Boosted Gear. Just nothing but your own body. That's the test."

(—?!)

He wants me to try that without my armour or anything?! Doing that just in my base form, is that even possible?...

"Don't worry. I won't be as mobile as I would be otherwise. I'll try my best to keep my movements to a minimum. And, most of all, I won't use this left arm of mine. Therefore, you will have to accomplish it under these conditions."

So he's giving himself handicaps, huh! I see! In that case, I might as well not hesitate!

"Alright, Oji-saru! In that case, I'm coming at ya with full force! Or, at least whatever force this base form of mine can muster anyway!"

"Hoh! A good amount of confidence. You will be needing it."

|Kiba|

"Hyeh! Hah!"

Our group was training in the specialised training arena under Gremory, like usual. I was practicing my swordplay along with Xenovia.

But while we were training, my attention was caught by something else away from us.

—It was the sight of Ise-kun training with the First Generation Sun Wukong-sama.

"Che! Almost had it!"

"Hoho, not bad, red-boy. You've certainly taken the lessons I've given you to heart."

"Of course I have! How else would I have come so far!"

"That flattery won't achieve anything. But it puts a smile on my face, so you're welcome to continue."

When I looked towards that place, Ise-kun and Sun Wukong-sama were training together.

And Because of the complexity of the sight, I was captivated by it.

Ise-kun…. The way he moves around like that… All of his movements are so fluid, and they all take advantage of his momentum…. He tries lunging at Sun Wukong-sama multiple times, only to be sidestepped. But even when he misses, he somehow manipulates his body into a position that will benefit him right after each failure…. Looking at it from the outside, it looks like all of his movements are precisely calculated… But, that's not possible. It's obvious that he's just moving his body on a whim, in accordance with Sun Wukong-sama who keeps dodging and making swift maneuvers….

The impressiveness of the sight was not lost on me…. I've never seen Ise-kun move with such a fluid style…. The different postures that he keeps switching in between all seem to be derived from a certain type of complex martial art that I've never seen him use…. Are those the styles that Sun Wukong-sama taught him?...

Both of them move their bodies so quickly and easily…. If I didn't know any better, it would have all looked like a choreographed performance…

"...I didn't think Ise was that good at controlling his body."

Xenovia said it with interest from beside me…. Yes, it's the same for me. Just from his movements, I can tell that his style has become smooth…. Probably good enough that he can defeat someone like me easily with his Balance Breaker…. And to believe that he's practicing without his Boosted Gear right now….

—Could this be an indication that we are going to be far surpassed?

….

"Let's continue…"

And so, Xenovia and I continued with our training. I was trying my best to ignore the other training sessions..

|Ise|

After about 2 hours of training, my whole group and I returned home to rest. The rest of the day went by pretty smoothly. I played around with the kids, took a walk with the enthusiastic Go-chan, talked with Yorimitsu-san, and did some other things.

By the end of the day, I was dead tired. And honestly, I was even a bit stressed. A lot of things have been weighing pretty heavily on my mind. Things like what I talked about with the Phenex family, and the situation regarding Atlas' spirit. Even though I've tried not to think about it too much, I can't help but get stuck with those lingering thoughts.

It's really wearing me out. I'm not sure if it shows or not, but I'm at least sure that Ravel has noticed. She wouldn't be giving me so many worried looks otherwise. I just try to laugh it off, but then she gets even more worried. Ah, man… Ravel just knows me too well. I wish I wasn't always worrying her all the time. To believe that I'm still having these troubles even after talking with Lady Phenex…. Maybe I just am that weak….

Because of how stressed out I felt, I was about to ask Ravel if we could take a break somewhere. Maybe she could give me a lap pillow or something, I don't know. All I know is that I really want to be with her right now. But, when I was trying to reach her…

"Ara, Issei-san. There you are."

Someone appeared in front of me. It's Yasaka-san.

"Eh, Yasaka-san? What is it?"

"I was just looking for you. Join me for a moment, won't you?"

Yasaka-san said that and started walking up the stairs. Join her? For what, tea? I didn't really understand, but I followed her anyway. In the end, she led me back to the room her and Kunou were staying in.

"So, what is it that you wanted to see me for, Yasaka-san?"

Just as I asked that, Yasaka-san sat down on her bed and patted on her lap.

"Alright. Come."

"Eh?"

She was gesturing to her lap for some reason…. I was a bit confused so I asked her out loud.

"...Hizamakura?"

In response, she simply nodded her head...

…

…

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!

Hizamakura?! A lap pillow?! A lap pillow from the Kyuubi-samaaaa?! Is it really okaaaaaaaay?! I mean, who the hell am I to deny that?!

—I jumped onto the bed without hesitation and scooted over towards Yasaka-san's lap. I laid my head down on top of her supple legs and Yasaka-san began stroking my head.

Aaaaaaah, this is heaveeeeen! Tengoookuuuuuuuuuu! Thank you, Buddha-sama, for this opportunity! Thank you, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Izanagi, Ebisu, and all of the other gods out there! This is truly a blessing!

While I was appreciating this moment that I was blessed with, Yasaka-san spoke to me in a gentle voice.

"You have been worried lately, haven't you?"

My brain stopped for a moment.

….How did she know?...

"I could sense it from you. You are giving off a more reserved feeling than usual. Back in Kyoto, you gave off a somber feeling. That was because of what was happening back home, wasn't it? That explained why you were so emotional at that time. But now, you are presenting a more 'withdrawn' attitude. —That's because you are worried, isn't it? There are many things that are weighing on your mind. And the way that you handle your problems, is alone. You don't want to involve others in your problems. That's why you're like this, isn't that right?"

…

I was left silent with Yasaka-san's explanation…. Bullseye…. She was completely right… I've been getting more and more worried lately, and that's why I'm like this… Even if most of my group doesn't notice it, I'm actually hiding my problems from them…. Just like always….

…..And just like always…. They still don't notice…..

Well, except for Ravel, of course, hehe….

"That's right…. I've been getting worried about what I can do from here on out…. I remember that I was uncertain about my future and was lacking motivation, but that was basically fixed during my talk with Lady Phenex….. So, if I no longer have a lack of motivation, why is it that these thoughts keep worrying me?... It feels like no matter what I do, these thoughts just keep getting heavier again after lightening up…. I can't keep worrying Ravel like this…. I should be able to handle it myself, but…. I'm just…"

Yasaka-san gave me a gentle stroke on my head.

"You are putting too much pressure on yourself."

At that moment, I could feel myself being overcome with serene feeling…. This is...Senjutsu….

"With all of the worries that you are having, it is no surprise that you are feeling overwhelmed. The problems you're facing are no small issues. Some of them will have drastic effects to the world around us. —However, just because those issues are your own, that does not mean that you should be handling them alone. The truth is that: issues like that will always overwhelm you from time to time. That is unavoidable. To act completely unaffected by such things, that's a false vision of strength, so it's best if you do not seek it. It's fine to let yourself be overwhelmed by certain things. That's precisely why there are others around who will help you carry that weight. You must learn to rely on others a bit more. You have people you trust even now, right?"

"...Yeah.."

"Then why not rely on them?"

"...But, if I just keep constantly relying on them, doesn't that just mean I'm a weakling who's taking advantage of them?..."

To that, Yasaka-san gave me a soft smile.

"You're a sweet boy. Always thinking about others before yourself. Perhaps a bit too much, at times."

I thought back to many events that happened in the past…. I have no choice but to agree with that….

"...I just… If I keep relying on them for the rest of my life without repaying them in any way, what kind of person would that make me?... It would be obvious that it means I'm taking advantage of them, right?"

Yasaka-san shook her head.

"Listen closely. Part of relying on others and asking others to rely on you is to not expect things in return. When you tell others to rely on you, do you expect them to have to return the favour?"

"Of course not… I just hope that they don't abandon me…. And maybe as long as they appreciate it, then I'll be happy… But, I don't need them to repay me…"

"Why not?"

"..Because I'm doing it for them, not for me.."

Yasaka-san nodded her head in agreement.

"That's right. So then, why wouldn't it be the same for those that you rely on?"

"...But…. It's not fair…."

"It's not fair when it's you doing it, but it's fair for others to use you to their leisure? If I remember the governor's explanation correctly, that's exactly the same mentality that ended you up in the situation you faced a couple months ago, wasn't it?"

I had no response, so I just frowned silently….

"Do you think that those you rely on would get tired of you constantly asking for help?"

….I shook my head…. No, they wouldn't…. Ravel would always be willing to help me, no matter what…. And Azazel would just wave it off and say "no problem"...

"You still think about others too much. Always thinking about things like "repayment" and "debts", even though those same people you owe aren't even thinking about it. It's fine to want to repay others, but you can't let it haunt you to such an unhealthy extent. It shows that you still think they have the possibility abandoning you, and that you don't think about yourself enough. Remember that, in the eyes of those people, you are also very important. If you don't take care of yourself, you're hurting them as well. Find a balance between thinking of yourself and others. You're a kind man, so I know you will always think of others first. But, that doesn't always have to be at the expense of yourself, does it?"

….

"...But, I was just about to rely on Ravel before you came to me?..."

"I'm sure that you were. But, if you're so hesitant that you're waiting until you can't handle it any longer, then that's not a very healthy habit, is it?"

….

….

I was left completely and utterly silent…. She's right…. She's exactly right…. Even though it's all stuff that I should know already, I still repeat the same mistakes….. I still have those parts of me that are the same…. Those unhealthy parts…. It's just that the people that they're directed at has changed…. But I have to change those parts of myself. If not all the way, then just a bit…. Otherwise, I won't be able to move forward.

Motivation means nothing if I just set myself up for failure anyway.

"...Thank you, Yasaka-san…."

"Of course. You are a good boy. Kunou has made a good choice. To be honest, I'm a little envious, ufufu."

"...Envious of what?"

"Oh, nothing~"

Now I was becoming suspicious about a different topic…. I narrowed my eyes and asked Yasaka-san hesitantly.

"...Neh, Yasaka-san…. Yesterday, when I asked you about your "mate", you didn't answer me…. Is Kunou's father not around?"

When I asked her that, Yasaka-san let out a heavy sigh. Her expression even seemed a little annoyed.

"Well, that depends on your definition of "around"."

Eeeh, that's not a positive response…

"..Um, the conventional definition, I guess?"

"Oh. In that case, no."

Yeesh, that was not a happy response at all!

"...So, then…. Where is he?"

I asked due to my curiosity, but Yasaka-san just shrugged her shoulders in a slightly irritated manner.

"Who knows. Likely treasure hunting somewhere."

"Eh?"

I repeated it because I thought I misheard.

"Treasure hunting?"

"Yes, that's right. It's his life passion, so he's a treasure hunter."

…..

…..

…..

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?! Treasure hunteeeer?! That's the reason he's not around?! The guy's fucking treasure hunting?! What the heeeeeeeell?!

Oi, Kunou's dad! What the fuck are you doing, shithead?! You've got a family to take care of, and you're just off treasure huntiiiiiing?! Have you fuckin' seen what kinda wife you have?! Are you even married?! Here I was expecting Yasaka-san to answer with "he's dead", or something, but instead I was given the most bizarre answer of them aaaaaaaall?!

"I can see that you are surprised."

"Surprised?! I'm fucking pissed! This asshole has got a woman like you, and instead of spending time with his family, he's off fucking hunting treasure?! What kinda bizarre, stupid shit is that?! I would kill to have a wife like you! And he even has a daughter like Kunou! Guooooooooooh, I'm furious!"

For some reason, Yasaka-san seemed to find my outrage amusing.

"Ufufufu. Well, thank you for that. But clearly, he disagrees."

"Clearly he needs an ass whooping!"

Yasaka-san just laughed again.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it isn't that serious. I'm just more worried about Kunou. I'm not sure if there are times when she thinks about it, so I don't want her to be developing any complexes about herself that are untrue. She doesn't deserve to think that she's not worth it."

"Your damn fucking right she doesn't! This fucking guy is..! Oooh, why I 'oughta—! Grrrrrr!"

"It truly isn't that big of a deal, Issei-san."

"The hell it ain't!"

In all of my rage, I sat up and started yelling out my frustrations.

"Fuck that guy! You guys don't need him! He can go straight to hell! Kunou doesn't need a dad like that! She doesn't need a dad at all! Any time she needs something, she can just rely on me instead! Fuck thinking about that guy! —And you, Yasaka-san! You don't need a man like that either! Forget about that fucker! You're a strong, beautiful, independent woman! That guy's just a fuckin' bum who doesn't know what he's got! Any man would kill to be with somebody like you! That guy's the one who's got his screws loose! Fuck him! You don't need him! If you and Kunou need something, you can just come to me! Forget about that guy! He can fuck off!"

….

….

Ah, I realised my outburst and started to feel very awkward…

"...Ah… Ahaha, well…. Not like you really need anything from me…."

I scratched my head in an awkward manner, but Yasaka-san just gave me a pretty smile.

"Ufufufu~ In that case, we'll be relying on you from now on, Issei-san."

"Eh? A-Ah, right… Yeah, sure. Whatever you need, I guess….."

After that, the room was left silent. Yasaka-san just sat there smiling at me. And I was left there feeling very, extremely awkward.

…..

…..

"...Um…"

…..

…..

"...Ahem…"

Even after I cleared my throat, it was still quiet…. Eeeh, really awkward…..

Beginning of the third day of the homestay. The final day.

I was still a little tired from taking care of Hiro-kun last night, again. Seems like he doesn't take well to new environments at all. As a result, I spent a couple hours taking care of him last night, until Aika-san could handle him herself. Although I have no idea why he stops crying whenever I pick him up. Maybe it's because of the aura of the Sekiryuutei or something?

I don't know. Doesn't really matter. It works, that's all that matters. That being said, I'm tired as shit.

I let out a long yawn while being followed around by the kids. They keep pestering me to play with them.

"Oppai Dragon! Play, let's play!"

"Play with us!"

"Oh, come on, kids… I'm tired. Can't you play by yourselves just for now?"

"H-Hey, let's leave Ise alone for today. I think he needs rest."

"But we wanna play with Oppai Dragon!"

I was having no luck getting the kids off my back. Even Kunou couldn't settled them down. It wasn't until Go-chan saved me that I was let go.

"Oh, what's this? You kids wanna play? Why don't you leave mister Oppai Dragon alone and come play with onee-san instead?"

"But we wanna play with the Oppai Dragon!"

"I know you do, but if you keep bothering him when he's like this, then you're not gonna be able to play with him ever again. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

The kids all shook their heads at her suggestion.

"Good! In that case, let him take a break. And in the meantime, I'll play with you. How about that?"

[Okaaay~]

"Cool! In that case…. You little piggies need to run...from the big bad wolf! Gaoooooow!"

[Kyaah!]

The kids all scattered off with Go-chan's "scary roar". I was saved….

"Thank you, Go-chan~..."

"Don't mention it."

Because of how tired I was, I was only thinking about the children, and decided to "reward" Go-chan by stroking the top of her head.

"Yes, yes, good job~... —Ah."

But then I quickly realised what I was doing and threw my hand back.

"Ah! Shit, sorry! That was just—!"

"Alright, headpats!"

Huh? When I looked in front of me again, Go-chan was no longer there. Instead, she was sitting on her knees below me, with a delighted grin on her face. Her tail was wagging back and forth, and she was sitting there expectantly.

"Hey, hey, why'd you stop? Aren't you gonna keep going?"

She asked me with an almost hyper attitude….

…..I just continued patting her head….

—Anyway, after that was over, I was able to finally take a rest on the couch in the living room. I sat down with my legs crossed, beside Aika-san who was coddling Hiro-kun.

Not long after I sat down, Koneko-chan showed up in front of me. She was staring at me for a few seconds, for a reason I was quite too tired to understand.

"Mm? What is it?"

When I asked, she just looked at my legs for some reason. Not understanding why, I just assumed there was something on there that I needed to remove.

"What? Is it a food stain?"

I asked her, but she didn't answer. She just gave me a small frown and sat down next to me while drinking her juice… Wonder what that was about…. Eh, whatever. I'm too tired to think about it, honestly.

As soon as I started to feel sleepy, I saw Ravel walking in from the other room, and she caught my attention.

"Ah, Ravel."

The moment she showed up, I was looking for a place where she could sit down, but both of the sides next to me were taken. I contemplated on whether I should ask Koneko-chan to move or Aika-san to move, but….

Aika-san has a baby, she should be taking first priority…. But, since Ravel and Koneko-chan don't get along, Koneko-chan won't wanna give up her seat…. So, what should I….

(—!)

Then, I had a brilliant idea! Of course! That was the obvious answer!

"Ravel."

I made the obvious choice, uncrossed my legs, and patted on my lap.

"Here."

Ravel's expression became one of surprise and she hesitated for a moment. For some reason, she looked around the living room, and even at Koneko-chan. Then, after a few seconds, she came and sat down on my lap.

"There you go."

Feeling that I finally found a comfortable position, I laid my head back against the sofa cushion and shut my eyes….. Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted shortly after by a loud crying.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

"...Ugh.."

"I-I'm sorry, Sekiryuutei-dono!"

I just sighed in defeat and extended my hands to Aika-san.

"Haah…"

After a couple seconds of pause, Aika-san handed me the weeping Hiro-kun and I held him in my arms. Then, I held my finger up to his face, and he tightly gripped onto it with his little hand.

"Waa…. Uu…"

His cries died into a small whine, until finally, he was no longer crying.

"...Hmm, maybe he likes my finger or something…"

I mumbled that to no one in particular but myself….. I also happened to notice that the living room had gotten pretty quiet suddenly….

"...Hm?"

For some odd reason, I was being stared at by a lot of my group members...

"…..What?..."

—.

A few hours passed and I was finally well rested. While I was getting up from the couch, one of the youngest girls of the kids group, Shizune-chan, came up to me.

"...Op...pa... Pa.."

Hmm? She's trying to tell me something... "opa"?... Oh, could it be that she's having trouble saying "oppai dragon"? Huh, that's weird…. She hasn't had any trouble before, what's up now?

I kneeled down to her level, hoping to hear what she'd say.

"What's wrong?"

She had trouble making out the words… Until...

"Oppai…. Oppai Dragon is papa?"

—CRACK!

Like it was made out of glass, my world cracked straight in half.

….

P-P-P-PAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!

—I was in complete shock by what she said, but luckily, Yorimitsu-san came in and cleared it up with the girl.

"Oh, n-no, no, no, Shizune-chan. He is not your papa. Your papa is..no longer with us. But anyway, Oppai Dragon is Oppai Dragon, not papa, right?"

Upon hearing that, Shizune-chan made a sad face, and tears started to build up in her little eyes…

"...N-Not papa?..."

—TON!

I felt as if my body had been struck by lightning.

And without hesitation, I picked little Shizune-chan up and held her up in the air, with a big smile in my face.

"That's right~ I'm your papaaa~!

[—?!]

While everybody else around me was shocked, Shizune-chan's face brightened up and she started cheering.

"Yaaaay, papa, papa!"

Shizune-chan clung onto me, and I held her tiny body in a hug.

Guuuuooooooooooooooooooh! My heart! Uuooooooh, it hurts! Im crying on the inside, but I have to keep a happy expression on the outside or Shizune-chan will notice! Guuuuuuoooooh! I'm sorry, Shizune-chan! Papa is here! Your papa is right here!

"Ise! You can't just go around freely declaring things like that! What if that child gets the wrong idea, what will you do then?"

Rias was saying doubtful things like that, but I wasn't listening. I was too busy running around while holding up Shizune-chan like an airplane.

"I don't caaaare~ I'm her papa~!"

"Yaay, papa, papa~!"

Meanwhile, Yasaka-san and Yorimitsu-san were talking about it being problematic in the background.

"...How are we going to explain that to the mother, Yasaka-sama?"

"Ufufu, well, that is a bit…"

Ah… I didn't even think about that…. Oh well...

"Woooo~, airplane!"

"Yaay, papa! Airplane!"

"Looks like it's finally that time then…"

"Noooo! I don't wanna go home!"

"Waah, papaaaa!"

It was the next day. Finally, it was time for Yasaka-san and her group to leave. The kids were all surrounding me, crying because they didn't want to leave.

"Don't worry, children. I'm sure Issei-san will come to visit Kyoto soon. And if not, then there we can always come back here at some point. Right, Issei-san?"

"Yup, that's right! Don't worry, kids! I'll come around soon, don't you worry about that! And my home's always open to you anyway, so we're all good, don't worry!"

With some reluctance, the children all stood next to Yasaka-san, preparing to leave in their limousine that will take them to the designated transportation location. Yasaka-san smiled at me and we gave our goodbyes.

"Goodbye, Issei-san. Thank you very much for having us in your home. I'm sure like all of the children, we enjoyed our time here as well."

"Of course! It was an honour to have you here. And likewise, it was fun having you all over. I'm glad you came."

"Ise…. You better not keep me waiting at Kyoto for too long, okay! If you do..! T-Then, I'll just come over here myself!"

"Hehe, yeah, I know, Kunou. You're welcome anytime."

"T-Thank you very much for having us here, Sekiryuutei-dono! It was an honour! And thank you for looking after Hiro-kun as well! I am eternally grateful!"

"Sure, no problem, Aika-san."

"It was an honour meeting you again, Ise-dono. I'm glad that we were able to come to good terms with each other again."

"Yeah, same here, Yorimitsu-san."

"Hey, Oppai Dragon! Thanks for having us over! It was a blast! Invite me over again some time, we'll have a lifting contest next time!"

"Aha, well, I've never really competed against a girl, but okay. Next time, for sure."

The children all waved back to me as they headed to the vehicle.

[Bye-Bye, Oppai Dragon!]

"Bye-Bye, kids! See you next time!"

"Bye-Bye, papa!"

"Ah… Bye-Bye, Shizune-chan… See you soon… Be a good girl, and, uh... Tell your mother I said hi…."

Ehehe, I really screwed myself on that one…. I wonder what the mom is gonna say….

—With that, the group finally left, and everything was back to normal.

Well… Almost everything…

"Let's hope your "wife" is a beautiful one, right, Ise?"

Rias said that with an angry tone beside me…. Ah, more like a lot of the girls in my group are mad, apparently…. I turned to Ravel, and even she was pouting slightly.

"...Ravel?"

"...Hmph!"

Ravel turned and walked away with a quick huff.

"Wha— Ah, c'mon, Ravel..! Please don't be mad! What was I supposed to say, "sorry, I'm not your dad"? C'mon, did you look at her face? How was I supposed to say that? Aw, Ravel~ Raveeeeeel~"

A Few Days Earlier:

|Azazel|

"Now that we're all here, I suppose that means we're all ready."

I was sitting in a room filled with other people besides myself. It was a large meeting room. A meeting room located in the same hotel that was used as a meeting place during the 'Loki incident'.

And I'm currently surrounded by other mythological beings.

Located all around the large table, there were leaders from different pantheons gathered. The leaders of the Three powers, First Generation Sun Wukong who is the representative of the 'heavens', a few Grecian gods, a couple of representatives of the Norse mythology…. And even representatives for the Egyptian and Hindu pantheons are here, one for each…

These are all of the representatives that were willing to meet on behalf of their factions. We're all gathered here under the impression of discussing something important with them. That is….

"Alright then, everyone. Today, we have gathered you together to discuss a singular topic. Amongst us, there are 'supporters', and there are 'skeptics'. For that reason, we gathered to in order to find an equilibrium between our arguments, and reach a proper conclusion amongst the major pantheon leaders."

Someone stepped up to the front of the room as he spoke, stopping next to a projection screen. A representative who accompanied me from my side, Shemhazai. He walked up to the front and gestured to the screen after pressing the button on a remote he held. An image popped up on the screen.

The familiar face of my perverted, bullheaded student.

"A conclusion on whether the [God-killer] is to be considered an ally to all sides— or, whether he is to be deemed a threat, and eliminated."

—My mission, is to convince the skeptics in this room that he shouldn't die.

End

Happy fuckin new year! Again! Anyway, that's all on that one for now. This chapter was just a bit of a filler/character driven chapter, up until the end. Don't worry, plot starts up next chapter, if the ending was indicative enough for you. And yes, it will still be original plot. Not gonna be any action just yet, mostly just build up. Also, in case you haven't forgotten, Issei still has a reward to receive from the Grecian gods, remember? Haha, I'm getting Red Dragon Of Golden Light flashbacks. These stories really are reflections of each other.

Anyway, how'd you guys like the Phoenix party? It was a bit short, but sweet, I think. There wasn't much time dedicated to it, but I think enough happened to justify it. A lot of interesting stuff there, more to come on that reverse dynamic. And, if anybody's worried about when Issei is going to confess, don't be. It's not gonna be anytime too soon, but trust me. I got all this shit planned out. You'll see.

But yeah, next chapter, the discussion between a few pantheons on what to do about the "God-killer dilemma", as well as Issei getting his reward, maybe some stuff with "Medusa", and more! By the way, yes, we are not far the LN plot. Just know, when we reach the LN plot, it is not gonna be the same as the LN. Because the LN plot is gonna mix in with my original one in order to replace all the boring parts of the LN version. You know how it is.

So tell me what you guys thought: What did you think about the Phoenix party? Did it go the way you thought it would? What will come of the interactions and developments? What did you think about the homestay? What did you think about all of the characters that came? What will happen with the Spirit of Atlas? What do you think Issei's reward from Zeus will be? What will the pantheon leaders end up deciding in their meeting? Will they come to an agreement on something, or will there be conflict?

Read, Rate, Review go crazy.

Stay frosty.