Here I am with another translated chapter!
Before I start, I would like to answer some reviews:
MAX0910: Penemue was a little mean there, but she definitely knows what wants. Thanks for telling me the song, although I already got those doubts answered in other reviews.
The Beast of Sanity: I'm very glad to see that you liked the development of the fight. I think I've said it before, but the action is a fundamental development for this story, so obviously it's very important that it works.
With nothing more to add, it's time to begin.
Enjoy!
"How do you think I'm doing?" Issei asked, as he ate at a campfire along with Penemue and Tiamat.
"Acceptable." Was Penemue's simple reply, then eating a small piece of meat. "I've improved a bit..." She thought with a small smile, savoring the taste of dinner.
"What's wrong?" Tiamat asked, tilting her head slightly to the side as she saw her future lover's expression.
"It's nothing..." He commented, grimacing slightly as he looked down at his food.
"Does the little profit you're making bother you?" Penemue asked, causing Issei to shake his head.
"You already warned me that I was almost at the limit of the power I could get." He replied, rubbing his hair. "What really bothers me, is that I still couldn't activate my ability again since the battle against Vali, and it's already been several days..."
"Don't be impatient." Cadre replied, causing the dragoness and the brown-haired man to glare at her. "Controlling your Ultimate Ability is secondary. You must first learn the techniques with the katana, as you barely know how to wield it properly." He stated, then gave Issei a sidelong glance. "Besides, I've already studied everything surrounding that Sacred Gear, even before we met. Whenever I want, we can start a special training, which, by the way, would only last a day." She finished, closing her eyes in satisfaction as she took another bite of her food.
"That sounds simple enough..." Issei commented with slight surprise. "In just one day of training."
"It's not simple." Penemue clarified quickly. "I only know what you need to achieve it, and the means I must implement to obtain it..." She concluded, giving Tiamat a quick glance.
"I see..." Issei commented, giving the food a small taste, slightly surprised by the taste obtained. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Penemue, and that tiny smile on her face was proof of it. "Changing the subject, I'd like to know more about the scale you mentioned earlier..."
"Uh, were you still thinking about that?" Penemue asked, then raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you want to know?" Issei couldn't help but narrow his gaze after thinking about it.
"I'd like to know what position I'm in..." He commented, frowning slightly. "You know what I mean..."
Penemue simply looked at him, then set his empty tray aside.
"I understand your curiosity." She stated earnestly. "I just hope you don't feel overwhelmed afterwards..." She added with a small smirk, causing Issei to quickly shake his head. "You already know that with 'Explosion', and after this training, you would achieve being at number 8 or 7, similar to the power of Sirzechs, Gabriel, and the entities that are great pillars in their races." She clarified, then placed a hand on her chest, pointing to herself. "My total power would be rated at level 18." She clarified, causing Issei's eyes to widen slightly.
There was a lot more difference between him and her than he thought...
"I am one of the 10 strongest entities currently. The tenth, to be more exact." She concluded, causing Issei's eyes to widen a little more. "The entities above me, are the few Gods that survived the catastrophe that happened a thousand years ago, having a level ranging from 22nd to 30th." Penemue, waved his hand slightly, indicating that she did not want to go into details. "In the fifth place, there is Vali." This clarification made Issei pay special attention. "I know him well, and I know for sure the potential he has, as well as the nascent power of his Sacred Gear." Penemue put a hand to his chin, thinking carefully. "I've never seen the full power it contains. But considering what he demonstrated, and adding the fact that he can control the Juggernaut Drive with utmost ease... I think his level would be in the 200s."
"Two hundred?!" Issei exclaimed with wide eyes.
"There is a huge difference between the top five." Penemue clarified. "For example, Tannin is twice as strong as Vali." The woman clarified, though this didn't take Issei by surprise, as it was something he imagined, being that his friend and mentor was a Dragon King.
"Is there even such a wide difference between Tiamat and Tannin?" he asked, causing the dragoness to look up at him with a small fearless smile.
"I had told you before that there is a wide difference between the Dragon Kings, even though they all have the same title." She explained, watching as Issei rubbed his hair.
"How much of an advantage, a hundred levels?" Issei asked, causing Tiamat's smile to grow.
"A little bit more..." Clarified the dragoness.
"One hundred and twenty?" he asked again, making Tiamat giggle.
"Stop teasing him already, Tiamat." Penemue commented, causing the brown to glare at her.
La Cadre simply lowered her gaze, and unleashed the bomb as if it were nothing:
"It's a thousand levels."
An overwhelming silence came over the forest. The only thing that could be heard, was Issei's tray falling to the ground.
CHAPTER 37: DISASTER AT THE REUNION, INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS AND... JEALOUSY?
"In that way, Hitler convinced his own to be a superior race, or as he and the Nazis called it, an Aryan Race." Penemue explained, making different drawings surprisingly clear, as all the students paid special attention. "That made the Nazis consider themselves to be beings above all others, denigrating other humans who did not belong to that 'race'. Just as it happened with the Jews..." She continued, finishing the drawing, then pointing at it with her chalk. "This is a containment camp. A place where they locked up all the Jews, turned them into slaves and forced them to live in squalid conditions, even millions and millions died." Penemue began to add a large number of flags of different nationalities inside the containment camp. "If the Nazis and Fascists had won World War II, chances are that a great majority of us would be living inside a containment camp, being treated like slaves and living under great misery..."
The bell rang, causing many to begin putting their things away, including Penemue herself.
"We will continue with the denouement in the next class." Cadre clarified as she left the classroom, without first giving Issei a quick glance.
He just nodded with a smile, waving goodbye to the woman.
"Hey, Issei!" Matsuda gave a quick half-turn from his seat, gaining his friend's attention. "Don't you want to do something today?" The bald man asked, receiving a quick refusal from Issei.
"Sorry, but I'm really busy..." He replied, causing Matsuda to give a big sigh of annoyance.
"You've been telling us that for a week now." Motohama commented, joining the conversation. "Don't over-exert yourself..." He finished, adjusting his glasses.
"Don't worry!" Issei exclaimed with a toothy grin on his face.
Murayama quickly joined the trio, giving Matsuda a big kiss on the cheek, making Matsuda blush.
"Won't you be able to come with us again?" the woman asked, hugging Matsuda tightly, making Matsuda blush even more.
"I'm sure you don't want to come, because you'll feel left out if you go unaccompanied." Aika declared, hugging Motohama from behind.
"N-not that, really!" Issei fiercely waved his hands for emphasis on his words, as a nervous smile took over his face.
Aika gave a small sigh.
"I know, I was just kidding..." She concluded, thinking that perhaps her joke had gone a little too far. "When you finish that activity of yours, let us know. It's not that we want to show you what a good couple we are, we just want you to join us like good friends having fun together."
"Exactly!" Murayama exclaimed with a big smile on his face. "You've proven to be a very good boy, and that's why we'd like the five of us to spend more time together."
"In fact, it's because of you that we ended up together." Aika continued, causing Issei to deliver a smile to both of them.
"Don't worry." Clarified the brown-haired man. "Once I'm released, we'll have a big barbecue."
"I like the sound of that!" Matsuda exclaimed with a toothy grin, as he raised his thumb.
"So, see you tomorrow..." Motohama placed his hand on Issei's shoulder as a gesture of farewell, causing everyone to leave.
The Sekiryuutei stood there alone, gazing intently at the nearest window.
"I'm so happy for the two of them..." Issei thought with a somewhat melancholy look on his face. "Although Aika is right, it generates a little bit of... I don't know..." The brown couldn't help but smile with a bit of sadness. "If Yuuma had been real, we'd be triple dating now..." The chestnut thought rather amusedly. "But would it really have been better if Yuuma had existed, and Raynare had never killed me?" He wondered, mulling over the answer for a few seconds. "Of course not." Issei chuckled for a second, mocking his own thoughts. "The Supernatural World is a very dangerous thing, but fantastic..." Issei couldn't help but lower his head a little. "Though the fantastic is only achieved thanks to all those people I met along the way these past 5 months... Ddraig, Gasper, Azazel, Rias, Tannin..." The names were coming into his head, until his eyes widened slightly. "If... If Yuuma had been real, I never would have met Penemue and Tiamat..." Issei couldn't help but let out a small sigh as the most beautiful smiling face presented to him by both women crossed his mind. "Most likely the pain I feel because of Raynare will never go away. But when compared to everything I've gained... All the time and good memories I have together with the two of them..." Thought the brown, unable to help but smile as such memories flashed through his mind. "If we compare all that to the pain I feel... That pain is nothing." He finished, not realizing that his last words were spoken aloud.
"At last I find you, you dynamic brat!" Azazel exclaimed, something that surprised Issei.
After all, it was rare for Azazel to seek him out in such need.
"It's urgent!" Cadre exclaimed, causing Issei to rise from his seat immediately.
A minute later, in the Club of the Occult...
"Get this cleared up quickly." Penemue stated, crossing her legs on the couch, while Tiamat stretched her arms at her side. "I don't want Issei's training to be delayed any longer than it has to be." The woman concluded, seeing Rias and the others settled in another armchair, while Azazel sat at the desk.
"There was a big problem at the reunion." Azazel said, resting a hand on his chin. "Loki has interfered, and started spouting a lot of gibberish about Demons and Fallen Angels, until he finally demanded your presence." He concluded, fixing his gaze on Issei, who was standing in the doorway along with Gasper and Kiba. "Since no one would listen to him, a big commotion ensued."
"What do I have to do with this?" Issei asked, pointing to himself.
"Loki didn't say anything about it." Azazel replied, closing his eyes. "Odin most likely knows something about it, or must have some clue at the very least."
"In that case, we'll go ask him personally." Penemue stated, causing Azazel to raise an eyebrow.
"Not that you didn't want to waste too much time?" the Cadre asked.
"If a God is looking for Issei, it can't mean anything good." Tiamat interjected into the conversation, frowning. "Regardless of whether the God wants to help or kill him."
"Odin said he would stay at the meeting place, since he couldn't move because of the huge barrier he built." Rias stated, causing Tiamat to raise an eyebrow.
"Barrier?" She asked, resting her hand on her chin with interest.
"Odin will explain when they get there." Azazel explained, watching as the three of them got into formation to leave. "Keep your eyes peeled." Azazel warned, as he created the magic circle. "If Loki was there, some of his minions may be lurking in the area." He finished, receiving a nod from all three before disappearing.
Back at the reunion site...
Issei observed with great amazement the luxurious building. It was a huge structure that, because of the large space and the various rooms, seemed to be heavily used.
On the way, Issei passed different Demons who were close in age to him, although he did not have the opportunity to look at them much, as they were all in a great hurry. He concluded that it was due to what had happened recently.
They finally reached the huge main hall and the only thing they saw in the sector, was Odin at the highest window with his hands outstretched towards the outside, while being guarded by a woman.
"It's that Valkyrie!" thought Issei as he saw Rossweisse, remembering that she was the old man's right hand man.
"The Sekiryuutei?" wondered Ross, abandoning her posture a bit.
Hearing the name, Odin turned his head.
"So you came?" Asked the old man. "And I see you did it in good company." He finished, looking at the two beautiful women who had his back.
"What are you doing?" Issei asked, receiving a gesture from Odin to come closer.
"See for yourself." The God commented, motioning Issei and his two companions up the stairs.
When the chestnut-haired man peered out of the window, his eyes widened in great shock.
Outside was a huge ice dome with hundreds of magic circles surrounding it.
"In there I have my troubled son." Commented the God.
"Wait a second..." Issei said, squinting his eyes as he saw something strange. "The magic circles..." He continued, watching as one by one they cracked, albeit at a very very slow pace.
"If I had been about 40,000 years younger, I wouldn't have so much trouble punishing my son." Commented the God graciously, though the sweat running down his face made it hard to appreciate the joke. "Unfortunately, I am old now, and the power that once oozed out of me is slowly fading. Now, my two sons are stronger than I am, though I can still give them plenty of trouble if I want to." He continued, letting out a small laugh. "Most likely, I'll burn out completely in a week. But, at the very least, Loki will use up almost all of his strength to manage to escape the seal. That will make it very easy to stop him..."
Far from caring what the old man was babbling about, Tiamat stepped forward imposingly.
"We want to know what Loki has with Issei." The dragoness stated, indicating that she didn't feel like listening to his family problems and the tragedy that came to the old man with age.
"Yeah, I figured that's what they were coming for..." Clarified the God, wiping his sweat with one of his hands. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea."
"Lord Odin, do you remember the strange movements Loki was making before the first meeting with the other factions?" the Valkyrie added, causing the old man to widen his eyes slightly.
"Maybe it has something to do with you, brat..." Commented the God, then looking at him with great seriousness. "I'll just warn you one thing..." Odin couldn't help but frown. "Whatever the reason, I know very well that Loki would not demand someone's presence just to have a little friendly conversation..."
"Don't think too much of that." They all looked back to run into Sirzechs. "My sister and Sona will see to it that Loki is successfully contained when he breaks the seal." The Maou couldn't help but cross his arms. "Of course, you're in that group, and you'll be able to ask him personally."
"Doesn't that seem a bit risky to you?" the brown-haired man asked, pointing to himself.
"As I said earlier, Loki will be too exhausted to pose a problem." Odin stated. "The real problem is the sheer number of minions he has at his back." He clarified, widening his gaze. "Here we are at the tip of a Hell City. He takes it for granted that they will come to make time to free Loki through great havoc." He explained, then glared at him. "That is where the Valkyries, Serafall, Sirzechs and all the other Demons with great power come in. They will be in charge of holding off the attack on the city." He finished, causing Issei to nod in understanding.
"Still, taking on a God..." Penemue couldn't help but lower her gaze, denoting great concern in her.
"It is an unbeatable opportunity." The dragoness declared, causing both Penemue and Issei to be surprised. "If Issei has a very big goal in mind as he continues training, it could lead to giving him a plus that we need. Besides..." Tiamat looked at Issei, seeing his condition. "Look at his hands. He's shaking with excitement at the thought..."
Penemue observed Issei, watching as the brown gave her a flaming glare, causing the Cadre to give a great sigh at the end.
"You can tell very easily that you were trained by a dragoness..." Penemue commented, patting her face. "I'm seriously beginning to suspect that you're more of a Dragon than a Demon..." Hearing this last, Issei couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"You think like a dragon, and you act like a dragon." Tiamat replied, her chest puffed out with pride. "Though, being a dragon myself, I can see that those actions have human reasoning as well."
"All in all, it's still curious." Penemue commented. "Human and Dragon, but not Demon, being that you are just that, a Demon."
"I guess it's because of Ddraig's influence?" Rather than an answer, it was a question.
"*Because of me you have distinctive Dragon traits, but that doesn't mean that because of those traits you should behave almost like one*" Clarified the dragon through the gauntlet, causing its bearer to rub his hair.
"Forget it, we got way off subject!" Penemue waved her hands, ending the conversation. "Being that you're going up against a God, it's best to stop wasting time and start right now." She concluded, gripping Issei's hand with great force, causing his face to turn pale.
"In that case..." Penemue, Issei and Tiamat looked back when they heard Rossweisse's voice. "You could train alongside the Valkyries." This proposal did not only surprise the three of them, as Odin also looked surprised. "Usually, we do not allow foreigners into Asgard, but it is the least we can do, since the trouble was caused by the fault of one of our own." The Valkyrie continued, then looked at the old man. "Doesn't that sound good to you, Lord Odin?"
"In fact, I think it's a great idea." He stated, fixing his gaze on Issei. "The Valkyries' training is extremely fierce and wearing, which is why they are the best warriors and the best army currently in existence." God stated proudly.
"I've heard that only 15 of the 1,000 women who enter manage to endure the first year of training..." Penemue thought aloud, rubbing her chin.
"Yes, that's how complicated it is. But I know the three of you will be able to endure it with no problem." Commented the Valkyrie with a smile, gaining their attention again.
Tiamat, Penemue and Issei looked at each other, pondering the answer for a few seconds.
"Very well, we will go to Asgard." The Cadre spoke for the three of them, earning a big smile from Rossweisse.
"In that case, pack things up for tomorrow!" Valkyrie exclaimed. "It's going to be a very intense and fun week of concentration!"
A few hours later, in the Cursed Forest...
Penemue was sitting at a desk in the middle of the grove, reading some papers with her glasses on. In the distance, slight disturbances could be heard, indicating that Issei was being trained by Tiamat.
"You have a lot of time on your hands, don't you?" the Cadre asked, sorting through a stack of papers.
"As cold as ever..." Azazel commented without giving her behavior much thought, sitting down next to her. "I just came to pay you a little visit."
"Well, as you can see, I'm quite busy." Penemue replied, without taking her gaze off the papers.
"I just wanted to know the reason behind going to Asgard." Cadre's comment made Penemue look at him for a second. "After all, your training is second to none, as is your tutoring."
"It's only a week." Was Penemue's simple comment as she held up a sheet of paper and read it. "I don't have the time or the resource to do the kind of training I want." She explained, giving him a rather serious look. "Not having phoenix tears made the process overly complicated, as Issei won't be able to heal from one second to the next. And we're not talking about superficial wounds." She continued to explain, balling up the paper and then tossing it aside. "I studied the possibilities, and I think it's best for him to go train in a place where you don't take much physical damage, but it's still very effective."
"And why must your training necessarily be so deadly?" Azazel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Won't there be a way to change it?"
"You think I didn't think of it before?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Issei is about to reach the peak of his fitness. The Boosted Gear can obviously bring great advantages in the future, but that's not the main idea." She stated, then resting her hand underneath her chin, at the same time removing her glasses. "In addition to learning my techniques with the katana, I want Issei to learn to move like me." This last statement made Azazel's eyes widen. "And the only way he can develop that speed and those movements, is to simulate real battles against me until he can no longer move." Penemue rose from her seat, leaving the glasses on the table. "For sheer obviousness, it's more than obvious that that kind of training will hurt him quite a bit, and I don't want to take that risk with such an absurd battle being just around the corner." She finished, leaving to see how the brown's training was going.
"Besides, there's also another reason..." The woman commented, just before she lost herself in the trees.
"And may I know it?" Cadre asked, looking at her with great intrigue.
Penemue lowered her head for a short second, then looked at Azazel.
"As you may know, Issei had a big problem with a Fallen Angel. A problem so big that it created a strong trauma for him." The Cadre couldn't help but lower her gaze with some empathy in her eyes for what she was saying. "In Asgard, Valkyries are beautiful women, but most important of all, they are honorable, brave, and very trustworthy. I think if I took Issei there and he meets some Valkyrie, maybe that trauma will finally leave him." She concluded, leaving the place.
Azazel just watched her disappear into the trees, then let out a small sigh.
"You could have started with that part..." Cadre thought aloud, unable to help but smile at Penemue's great concern for Issei.
The next day...
Issei, Penemue and Tiamat were walking quietly in the thick grove of trees near the huge building where yesterday's meeting took place, giving it one last look to make sure there was no one suspicious nearby.
"Standing guard is pretty boring." Issei thought with a bored look on his face as he had both his hands on the back of his neck. "I hope it will be dawn soon to go with the Valkyrie..." Issei concluded his thoughts, unable to help but give a big yawn at the end.
Meanwhile, Penemue and Tiamat were gossiping behind his back quite energetically.
In fact, it was quite rare to see them like that first thing in the morning...
"So, shall we wait to see which Valkyrie is the most suitable?" Tiamat asked quietly, making sure Issei didn't hear her.
"I already have one in mind, and I'm sure you know which one I mean." The Cadre whispered, glancing sideways at her future lover. "Still, remember that we won't mess with both of your relationship. We simply need to see that everything is natural, and if at any time Ross needs help or some advice, we'll provide it."
"I understand." The dragoness nodded. "Though perhaps we're already assuming too quickly that the two of them might feel some sort of attraction to each other..." She clarified, rubbing her hair.
"You're right, we'll stay out of it at first." Penemue explained. "What we do have to make sure, though, is that no opportunistic woman tries to get close to him, because a woman like that will end up sinking him."
"Don't worry about that." Clarified the dragoness. "After all, it's the simplest thing in this whole plan." She finished with great self-confidence, causing Penemue to nod in agreement.
After all, they had both done a great job when Xenovia tried to take advantage of Issei. It was such a job well done, that the woman never approached the brown-haired man with such intentions ever again.
The bad thing was that the two had been so focused on their important conversation, that they didn't notice the presence of a certain Nekomata until she was upon them...
"Oh, look at the big specimen we have over here..."
The three stopped instantly and quickly opted for their combat poses, watching intently for the source of the sound.
"Relax!" The woman on top of the tree exclaimed, the two tips of her black tail shifting comfortably between her hands. "I'm not here to fight, I'm just here to do my job." Her black cat ears twitched with great happiness as they caught the sound of the Boosted Gear. "My sense of smell didn't fail me, if it was you." She finished, sketching a somewhat cheeky grin.
This last caused Penemue and Tiamat to narrow their eyes in great suspicion.
"Were you put in charge too?" Issei asked, not paying much attention to the clear predatory look the Nekomata was giving him.
"Don't be fooled, Issei." Penemue stated with great seriousness. "It's a Nekomata. That species is nearly extinct, and only Koneko is registered within the Demonic forces." She finished, watching as the cat-woman leaned back against the log, making her breasts stand out that much more through her black kimono, which matched her tied back black hair perfectly.
"What has it been like living together with Shirone?" The woman's question took Issei by surprise.
"You mean Koneko?" he asked, slightly surprised.
"Is that what my sister calls herself now?" the Nekomata asked, narrowing her amber eyes, doing a small somersault to fall to the ground.
"Your sister!" Issei exclaimed in great surprise.
"Well, she was..." The woman closed her eyes with some pain, though that expression didn't last long on her face. "My name is Kuroka, and that woman is right." The now recognized as Kuroka introduced herself, fixing her gaze on Penemue. "Let's just say I'm here not only for orders, but also out of curiosity..." She concluded, turning her gaze back to Issei. "And that curiosity has rewarded me exquisitely..." She finished, again opting for that enticing look that generated an icy shiver in the Cadre and the dragoness.
"Wait a minute, if you say Sirzechs didn't send you..." Far from feeling a bit overwhelmed at the flirtatious feeling that was hitting him, Issei quickly became defensive. "Then who was it?" he asked, raising his gauntlet and clenching his fist tightly.
"I think you know Vali." The woman's comment bristled the boy's skin. "He has spoken well of you. He says he can't wait to fight you again." Kuroka said, causing Issei's fist to clench even tighter as Penemue and Tiamat seemed to begin preparing to take her down. "But, as I said before, I only accepted the order out of pure curiosity." This caused Issei to raise an eyebrow in response. "After all, I'm already mature enough to reproduce, and I want to rebuild my species with children who are very strong." Kuroka licked one of her fingers, causing Issei to make a pouty face.
". . ."
"And what the heck does that have to do with your curiosity?" Issei asked, after going through the most uncomfortable seconds of his life.
"My curiosity told me that if I went to a dangerous place, I might encounter men with great power, and therefore, I would encounter strong genetic material willing to provide me with many powerful children." She explained, taking a couple of steps forward."
"Well, I guess that's kind of logical..." Issei thought aloud, rubbing his hair. "My name is Issei." He concluded, taking a couple of steps forward, then extending his hand with a smile.
Kuroka watched the hand for a second, then looked up at him.
"Aren't you afraid of me?" she asked with a small smile.
"You're from the Khaos Brigade, but Vali made it clear that your group wasn't out to cause any harm, and that they weren't obsessed with power." Issei replied with a toothy grin. "Let's just say they're just looking to have fun."
Kuroka looked at him with slight surprise after his words, then gave him a small smile.
"You're right, we're just looking to have fun..." Clarified the woman, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Issei couldn't help but blink with great confusion when Kuroka hugged him tightly, instead of simply shaking his hand. This obviously alerted both Penemue and Tiamat, and their wide eyes were proof of it.
"You know something, Vali is the strongest man I know." The Nekomata commented, hugging him tighter. "But he's someone very boring, so he doesn't want to have any kind of relationship with me..." She continued, raising her face to look face to face with the brown, who looked stunned by everything that was happening. "Being that you are the bearer of the other Celestial Dragon, wouldn't you like to do it with me?" She whispered in his ear with a purr, which was easily heard by the other two women. "We can play in any way you want, as long as you give me my children..."
"That's enough!" Penemue pulled her away from Issei with a hard shove, standing in front of her man. "Who do you think you are to make that kind of proposal!" She asked, crossing her arms.
"Are you his partner?" Kuroka asked, causing a slight blush to appear on Penemue and Issei's face.
"No..." Cadre replied after a few seconds.
"Then who do you think you are to interfere?" Kuroka returned the question, frowning slightly.
"That's not what's important." Both Issei and Penemue watched as Tiamat stepped in front of the Nekomata, who looked completely unaffected by their presence. "We will not allow opportunistic bitches like you to take advantage of Issei." The dragoness grabbed her by her kimono, causing Kuroka's feet to leave the ground.
"Hey, girls..." Issei's smile quickly twisted to a nervous one as he felt the weather too heavy. "Can we..." The brown's smile grew increasingly hesitant as he watched the three women get death stares. "Calm down..." Issei's last word was practically inaudible, being completely overpowered by the atmosphere.
Issei's eyes widened in an oversized way as Penemue hugged him protectively and they jumped away from each other with a small hop.
"If he tells me in his own words, I would have no problem. As far as I'm concerned, you're just jealous." Kuroka's reply made Tiamat grit her teeth tightly, at the same time a thin blush appeared on her face.
"What... you called me?" The dragoness' tone was very threatening.
Kuroka slowly approached her hate, then whispered to her:
"It's not my problem that you can't control your own fear..."
Tiamat looked slightly stunned at such words, to which Kuroka took advantage of, giving her a strong swipe to free herself.
A huge blush shot across Issei's face as Tiamat's clothes were torn to shreds. The most intimate part of her breasts was only covered by her own hair.
Penemue acted instantly, covering Issei's eyes with her hand.
"Damn...!" Tiamat roared in great anger, grabbing her just in time by the hair, causing Kuroka to give a small scream.
The Nekomata responded in kind and began to pull her hair, while she felt her rival tearing the front of her kimono to shreds.
Both women rolled on the floor and continued to pull each other's hair, while trying to hit each other with various blows.
The movements of both women made it look like they were in a clear catfight.
"I don't know what that woman may have said to her, but Tiamat was swayed by her words." Cadre thought, seeing that the dragoness was acting strangely. "She could have already knocked her unconscious, but she wants to humiliate her to show her that her feelings are much more powerful than the Nekomata's ambition..." Penemue continued to study as both women attacked each other and rolled around on the floor, causing Tiamat's sexy-as-hell body to press into Kuroka's with great force. "Should I intervene...?" She concluded, watching as Issei had placed both of his hands over hers to make sure she didn't see any of what was happening.
"Stop!"
Issei's shout made all three women look at him in surprise.
The boy uncovered his eyes and quickly removed his jacket, tossing it to the two women who had the upper half of their bodies exposed.
Tiamat simply watched as the jacket fell over the bare part of her body, not letting go of Kuroka's hair, which, by the way, the Nekomata hadn't let go of either.
Issei slowly approached Kuroka and handed her his shirt, not caring about the fact that his torso was completely exposed.
"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want anything to do with you." The young man commented, helping the two women to their feet. "I fully understand your motives, but for that very reason I can't accept." Kuroka just looked at him with great confusion at his words. "If you want to build a family, make sure that the father of your children loves his children as well. I completely understand that you think you'll be enough, but it won't be easy for them." Issei positioned a hand on Kuroka's shoulder, giving her a small smile. "If you really want your children to be strong, they need both a mother and a father."
Kuroka simply smiled at her and shook his head, pulling away as he pulled on his shirt.
"You don't need to make up that whole story to say you don't want to have relations with me." The Nekomata commented, causing the brown's face to acquire a nervous smile.
"I stuck to what I said!" Issei quickly defended himself, then rubbed his hair sheepishly. "Though it's also true that I don't find you attractive at all..." He continued, causing Kuroka to raise an eyebrow. "I-I didn't mean that!" he shouted, waving his hands fiercely. "I-I just, I-I'm not interested in being with any woman!"
"Does that mean you don't see attractiveness in any woman?" Kuroka asked, raising her eyebrow even further.
"Exactly!" Issei exclaimed, just as the different images of Tiamat and Penemue clouded his mind. "No, wait, that's not accurate!" Issei quickly grabbed his hair with both of his hands. "What the hell am I saying?!"
By now, the three women were looking at him as if he had gone crazy.
"You're just like Vali..." Kuroka commented. "Very good at battles, but a completely unintelligible being when it comes to other matters." The Nekomata raised her face for a short second, then looked back at the brown. "In fact, you're even stranger than Vali."
"Putting everything that happened aside, you'd better give us the specific details of your visit in the Underworld." Tiamat commented, finishing putting on Issei's jacket. "If you're worried about your safety, I should tell you that I don't work for any of the Factions. And even if Penemue and Issei are fully involved, they both understand perfectly well that their group is not the one generating so many complications." Clarified the dragoness, receiving a quick nod from Kuroka.
"I know perfectly well. Vali told me that the Dragon Queen was spitting on the mandate of the Factions, and that Penemue was just like Azazel." The Nekomata clarified, then fixed her gaze on Issei. "Whereas the Sekiryuutei was someone different."
The brown instantly surmised that being "different" should mean something good under Vali's point of view.
"For that very reason is why I approached you without precautions." Kuroka explained, then leaping up a tree. "All I know, is that Vali has been chasing a man for years to kill him." This statement not only surprised Issei, but also Penemue, who knew the albino perfectly well. "He's supposed to be someone powerful, so we always track down powerful energy sources to help us track down his whereabouts. Unfortunately, we're always wrong." She concluded, with a sigh covered in exhaustion from her last words.
"What kind of man is that?" Penemue asked, gaining Kuroka's attention. "Vali wouldn't go kill anyone, unless it's really necessary."
"Does Brand Caingelmon mean anything to you?" the Nekomata asked, causing Tiamat and Issei's eyes to widen. "That's all I can tell you." She clarified, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Issei stopped her, getting the woman to raise an eyebrow. "Why did you say Koneko wasn't your sister anymore?" He asked, causing Kuroka's eyes to flood with anger and sadness.
"I... I was much stronger than Shirone, and that's what saved me..." Kuroka couldn't help but lower her head and let out a big sigh, remembering that fateful day. "We came from a species that was completely wiped out. We don't even remember our parents' faces, I only remember the demon master who treated us with affection and loved us, or so it seemed..." The Nekomata clenched her fist tightly, remembering the man she hated most in her life. "One day, he brought a chess piece, and let that would protect us. I, being so innocent, was the first volunteer. The bastard tried to embed the bishop piece in my body, but he couldn't. He said I was too strong to use one of the old pieces, and so he was going to fit me with one of the new ones, which are now known as 'Mutated Pieces'." Kuroka couldn't help but bring a hand to her chest, causing a purple bishop piece to glow brightly on her chest. "As soon as the piece entered my organism, I noticed the changes. I nearly fainted from the painful transformation my body was undergoing, but somehow managed to stay conscious. The nature of my body quickly warned me that the embedded piece made a strange interference with the Demonic transformation, so my mind could not be corrupted by the transformation. And, on top of that, I felt a kind of binding towards that man, something that made us slaves." Kuroka couldn't help but grit her teeth at the memory. "After that, it's all a blur. I only remember killing the bastard and generating a huge fire that destroyed the entire mansion, all that to make sure Shirone didn't get the part." Kuroka couldn't help but assemble a look of utter sadness. "In the end, I had forgotten that she was barely an 8-year-old girl, and that she wasn't going to understand anything I did. She simply berated me, and said she would hate me forever as she broke away from my arms and ran into town. I tried to catch up with her, but my body was too weak, so I had no choice but to run away and leave her there..."
"And then she met Rias..." Issei commented, finishing the story.
Kuroka lowered his face, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
"From what I see, you must already know that Demonic Corruption destroys a person completely. That's why I know that Shirone is already dead, and will never come back..." the Nekomata finished her story, turning around to leave.
"It's true that Demonic Corruption wreaks havoc, but Koneko is still..."
"She?" Kuroka interrupted, glancing sideways at him. "If I learned anything from my time in Hell, it's that nowadays Demons don't destroy through power or force..." She commented, closing her eyes. "I may be paranoid, but you're too trusting." She clarified, opening her eyes and giving him an indecipherable look. "Be careful, the trusting ones are the easiest to manipulate..." She finished, disappearing into the trees.
"I understand you perfectly, but not all Demons are the same..." Issei answered her, even though Kuroka was already quite far away.
"Tiamat..." Penemue commented, fixing her gaze on the dragoness, who found herself with a small blush as she sniffed Issei's jacket.
"You know well that I'm not interested in all that stupid discussion about Demons. Trash is trash, and it will never stop being trash." The dragoness replied casually, turning her back on Issei so he wouldn't see what she was doing.
"You know quite well I didn't want to talk about it..." The Cadre narrowed her eyes disapprovingly as her harsh voice and icy gaze caused Tiamat to finally snap out of her unfounded little daydream.
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Tiamat muttered, looking away with a slight frown.
Issei simply rubbed his cheek with his finger as he watched Penemue seemingly scold Tiamat for the childish attitude she had taken against Kuroka.
"I think it's about time to meet up with the Valkyrie." He commented, causing the two women to look at him.
"You're right." Tiamat reaffirmed her beloved's words, as she saw the light of dawn begin to filter through the trees.
END OF THE CHAPTER!
I hope you liked it!
Most likely there won't be another chapter tomorrow, since I have to focus again on updating the untranslated story. Maybe the next update will take 2 or 3 days to arrive.
Thank you very much for reading!