After a week, we meet again with a new translated chapter!
I decided I should take a couple of days off because the last few chapters I translated I was feeling a bit uncomfortable due to my lack of progress with certain errors. In the end I've taken this time to think and the reality is that it's stupid for me to get so upset about it. That doesn't mean I won't keep trying to improve my translations, but I will try not to focus so much on it. The important thing is that the chapters are understandable and not so annoying to read because of the large number of errors.
My goal for this month is to translate up to chapter 60. After that I will take another short break to take the time to correct the first chapters, which are insufferable.
With nothing more to say, it's time to begin.
Enjoy!
"Azazel already handed me the format of the Rating Games." Stated Rias, who was sitting at the desk in the lounge that was located in the Occult Club. "From the looks of it, this year will be quite different than usual."
"Does it have anything to do with what happened recently?" Xenovia asked, who was crossing her legs on the couch.
"They didn't talk about it much, but I guess it's pretty obvious." Rias replied as she began reading a piece of paper. "Since all the stages were destroyed by the recent altercation, the fight will take place in a large gym."
"A gym?" Gasper couldn't help but wonder with great confusion, and more than one seemed to be just as intrigued.
"They will be divided into two different zones. So that you can understand how the zones work, I'll give you a small example..." Rias began to draw a picture on the back of the sheet, where he divided a square into two parts. "This is zone A and this is zone B." She clarified, marking each zone with a letter. "Once the participants of each zone are assigned, they will not be able to come into contact with the other until the combat in their respective place is over." Rias carved again with her pencil, making a link between the two zones. "If we were to win zone B, we would instantly be taken to zone A. At least, the ones that weren't shot down yet." Rias raised her gaze, putting her pencil aside. "Did you get it?" She culminated with her arms crossed.
"That means we have to make a thorough distribution, since if we lose the area our King is in we will already be automatically disqualified..." Akeno commented as she placed a finger on her chin.
"We won't lose any zones." Everyone looked at Issei, who was very relaxed leaning against the door.
"Where did you get such confidence from?" Kiba consulted him, looking at his partner with a smile. "It's weird to hear you assert a victory before it even begins."
"Make no mistake, I know Sona is very dangerous and might have an incredible plan to stop us." Issei quickly defended himself. "I'm just saying that we shouldn't worry about the two zones."
"I think I understand." Koneko said her first words in the meeting, drawing everyone's attention.
"I agree with Koneko." Asia quickly spat. "What you want is to take care of a zone by yourself, isn't it?" Issei would look at her with a small smile, then nod.
"But, that might be a bit risky..." Rias was hesitant, as the very idea of falling into this tournament was bothering her too much.
"Don't worry." He stated to reassure his mistress. "In general, all of Hell thinks I'm just as strong since I defeated Raiser. True, Sona and her team have seen me in action a few more times, but I don't think they take the necessary caution or calculations enough to stop me."
" Hmmm, how can you be so sure?" Rias consulted him, earning a small smile from Issei.
"Simple, lack of information." Was his simple reply.
"So, you're assuming you could take care of half of his entourage by yourself?" Akeno asked with a small chuckle at the end.
"I'm not guessing, I'm stating it." The brown-haired man stated with a defiant smile.
"In fact, it would be something we could use quite well." Rias' words made everyone focus their attention on her. "The Rating Game has two other rules. The first one is that it will be played for time, and if the match is not finished, the team that finishes with the most numbers at the end is the one that will emerge as the winner. The second rule is that there will be certain pauses for each time the number of either of the two sequitos is reduced to a certain number."
"Sounds interesting..." Xenovia would comment, rubbing her chin. "By the way, is it known which and which pieces will be assigned in each zone before combat begins?" She added, igniting the curiosity of more than one, as it was a very good question.
"Unfortunately we won't know until we're already inside." After those words, Rias couldn't help but lower her head in slight annoyance. "Knowing Sona's intellectual ability, that's a point that could play against us..."
"Don't worry, we'll win." Issei's convinced words made the others look at him unable to help but hand him a smile, as the confidence he conveyed was impressive.
"Anyway." Rias clapped her hands, regaining everyone's attention. "Since we've cleared up this issue, it's time to move on to the most important thing." The redhead couldn't help but smile at what she was about to say. "Since we've won, I'd like me and my dear servants to take a few days off before resuming training." They all smiled, agreeing.
The only one who seemed to completely disregard her words, was Issei.
Since the Rating Game conversation was over, he had no reason to stay there. That made it not long before he turned around to open the door.
"Issei?" Rias couldn't help but look at him with great confusion. "Don't you want to have fun with us?"
"You know my answer." They were the simple words of the brown-haired man, who looked over his shoulders to stare at the redhead.
"But..."
"Besides, I'm busy today." Issei interrupted her, giving her a chagrined smile. "I already made plans with other people."
"But...!"
"I'm free to make my own decisions..." Issei interrupted her again, though this time the mood turned very cold. "Right, president...?" The brown-haired man's eyes made almost everyone nervous, most of all Rias, who knew quite well the reason behind those words.
"Of course!" She answered him quickly to lighten the mood. "What kind of question is that?" after hearing that answer, a toothy smile appeared on Issei's face.
"You're the best, president!" He exclaimed with great excitement. "And I'm sorry I don't get to spend as much time with you, but I promise that when the Rating Games are over, we'll party big time."
"I like the sound of that." Was the reply from Rias, who dismissed Issei with a wave.
Once the protagonist left the place, that fake smile of Rias' instantly broke and was replaced by a gloomy expression.
"After the Rating Games? That's a long time..." Rias raised her gaze, frowning considerably. "I'll have to talk to my brother." All this she said in her thoughts, watching as Gasper and Koneko were talking animatedly about the school trip. To be more specific, the half vampire was the only one showing any emotion really.
Rias finally lowered her gaze again, giving a big sigh.
"I think things are getting a little complicated..."
CHAPTER 50: CHARITY TIME AT THE FAIR!
As was common and rare these past few days, Issei was at home while waiting for the three ladies who would accompany him to the fair.
His attire had changed quite a bit from his usual academy clothes, as he was currently wearing some red and black garments. The outfit fit him so well that it might even match his gauntlet perfectly, if he was forced to activate it, of course.
Clothes were not the only distinctive thing about his appearance. Although, truth be told, that was something that wasn't strictly tied to his appearance...
"Can you put that on me?"
As was customary since she had met him, Ophis went to the brown man's house every day to grab a bite to eat and use her much-prized headphones.
"Hey, I'm really sorry you have to stay here." Issei commented as he took the headphones Ophis held in her hands. "You could have a lot of fun if you come with us..."
"The Valkyrie already said that there was a lot of noise in that place. So, I'm not interested in the least." Was the Goddess' neutral reply, as she shifted her hips to settle into Issei's lap.
"But, do you want to get more comfortable with us, or am I wrong?" Ophis looked at him without mediating words, that left a more than obvious answer. "Then, I think you should start getting a little used to our way of living. Though I understand perfectly that you want to take it little by little." Issei waved his hands after the last words, indicating that it was only a suggestion.
"Maybe you're right..." Ophis lowered her head in a sign that she was taking those words seriously.
After a few seconds, she reacted again.
"But in the meantime..." Ophis took both of Issei's hands, indicating to put the headphones on.
"Okay, I understand." Issei replied with a small smile before placing the headphones on her.
At that moment, she relaxed again as she always did. The sight was quite curious to the brown-haired man, as the Goddess always seemed to be in a state of absolute relaxation.
"This makes me wonder if she can really get used to it..." Issei thought with some concern, a concern that was displaced at the affectionate smile that emerged from his face. "Now that I see her better, she looks really cute when she's like this..."
His gaze continued on her, while those thoughts about the beauty of the Goddess who was almost asleep on his lap continued to hover in his mind.
Without realizing it, seconds turned into minutes because of admiring that beauty.
And, without realizing it, his two hands encircled the waist of the Goddess to enclose her in a tender embrace.
At that moment, Ophis' eyes snapped open. Her gaze was noticeably confused as she fixed her empty eyes on Issei's glowing ones, who couldn't help but get a little nervous.
"I shouldn't have interrupted her!" Issei spread his hands apart in one swift motion.
To her own surprise, big, big surprise, Ophis was quick to take his hands so that he could hug her again.
She looked up at him with pretty violet eyes as they seemed to beg him for something.
"I like you touching me..." She commented to him, squeezing her hands a little with Issei's. "Can you keep doing it?"
Issei's surprise slowly was replaced by a slight smile.
He didn't say anything, as it was obvious she wouldn't listen to him. All he did was place one hand on the Goddess' waist as he placed his other hand on her head.
Issei soon began to caress her, and that made the Goddess close her eyes in unparalleled harmony.
And, unbeknownst to Issei...
She had blushed for the first time.
After a few seconds had passed, that absolute harmony she felt when she was with Issei began to transform into a restlessness that kept growing inside her. That undoubtedly confused and annoyed her at the same time, so she did not take long to open her eyes.
When she did, the first thing she did was to focus her gaze on the brown man's face, who looked at her with slight confusion when he saw that something seemed to make her uneasy.
That uneasiness began to transfer onto him when the Goddess stared at him without saying a word.
She was only looking at him...
Issei gave him a toothy smile as he began to caress one of her cheeks, that made the Goddess's uneasy expression change to one of surprise.
Ophis took the hand that was caressing her cheek as she continued to look at him that way.
Issei's smile changed to a puzzled look as she was now the one caressing his cheek.
"Feels good..." Ophis thought, at the same time her gaze drifted to his lips. "I want to touch him too, caress him..." Those thoughts were the ones that flooded her mind as her gaze was fixed on his lips, and only on his lips.
Ophis removed her headphones, and brought her hand slowly to Issei's lips.
"What are you doing?" Issei couldn't help but ask, as the situation was getting quite strange under his point of view.
"I want to touch your lips." Ophis' answer didn't help much either, as it didn't clarify absolutely nothing.
She continued to touch the surface of the brown's lips carefully, as if trying to feel every inch.
"I don't get it, how can lips look and feel so delicious?" Thought the dragoness, who pulled her hand away slowly, cupping both of Issei's cheeks. "I wonder..." Her eyes slowly closed.
"How it will feel to taste them..."
Ophis' face began to slowly move closer, until he was inches away from connecting Issei's lips with hers.
"Wait, wait!" Issei placed his hand in the way to stop her from kissing him. "What do you think you're doing?"
Ophis opened her eyes and pulled away from his face a little. Her typical innocent and neutral attitude soon came to the fore as she tilted her head to the side.
"I just wanted to touch your lips with mine." Was her reply, getting Issei to roll his eyes.
"You can't do that!" The young man exclaimed, managing to make Ophis blink in great confusion.
"Why not?"
"Here we go again..." Issei thought inwardly, beginning to understand that living with this Goddess could prove to be a real pain in the ass. "How can I explain it to you..." Issei began to rub his hair in great irritation as he searched for an answer. "That kind of thing, the one about joining your lips with someone else's, that's only done by people who have or want a special connection between them."
"I understand." Was the Goddess's instant response.
"That fast?" Issei couldn't help but smile at the thought that Ophis had understood something at the first explanation.
Evidently, that was a very good thing to be real.
Ophis didn't take long to grab his cheeks again and drag her lips to Issei's, though Issei was able to react in time again.
"Wait!" Issei did the same thing again as last time to stop her. "You didn't understand anything!" He exclaimed with his eyes rolling.
"But don't you want to have a special connection with Ophis?"
Issei was going to respond in the usual way he did with her, but that idea was instantly dismissed after seeing the Goddess' expression.
Without a doubt, she was sad.
He couldn't help but feel a little bad noticing it.
Perhaps he was too hard on her?
"Don't misunderstand, I want to get along really well with you too, but I don't think you understand what it really entails to have that kind of connection. Especially if you choose someone like me..." Issei said this last in a whisper, though Ophis could hear it.
"What's wrong with loving Issei?" She couldn't help but tilt her head, getting a smile on the brown's face.
"If you want, you can show me your affection in a more normal way." Ophis didn't notice how he deflected her question, she could only pay attention to how he pointed to his cheek. "You can give me a kiss here."
"On your cheek?" Ophis immediately doubted that that might feel just as good as being able to kiss his lips, but she understood that it wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Before Issei could ask her if she was going to do it or not, Ophis grabbed him by the cheeks again.
This time there was no hand to stop the tour, so her lips could touch Issei's cheek without any problems.
Such a kiss normally wouldn't last long, but she seemed to be enjoying it so much that she couldn't tear herself away from Issei. In fact, her body moved even closer to the brown man's as her arms began to wrap around his neck to deepen the kiss even more.
"This is a little strange..." The brown man stated, unable to help but feel a bit confused at the current situation.
Ophis' lips finally parted, leaving a small sound behind. She pulled away a little, though still hugging him by the neck.
At that moment, Issei could tell that the Goddess' breathing was a bit labored, adding to the blush that decorated her face.
"Thank you..." Was her only word, then leaning back and squeezing into Issei. "It's the first time I feel so good. I want to be close to you forever."
"Oh, I'd like that too..." Issei couldn't finish his sentence, as he noticed something strange.
She was hugging him so tightly that he could notice those strong heartbeats coming from her chest.
"I'm sure an emotionless person wouldn't act this way..." Issei thought as he rubbed Ophis' back to deliver affection. "Maybe she never had the chance to feel them? Or she was always avoiding them? Could it be both?" Those questions and more began to fill his mind in search of answers that only generated more questions.
Luckily, the sound of the front door made that strange moment disappear for both Issei and Ophis, who broke away from him to look over his back with her typical adorable curiosity.
"Who's ready for some fun!" Rossweisse's voice was heard throughout the dining hall, she sounded quite excited at the idea of going on an outing with her friends.
"No need to shout..." The one to be heard on this occasion was Penemue, her tone of voice was so dismissive as to be impossible to mistake.
"I wonder what will be done at a fair?" The other tone was also quite clear, it was impossible not to recognize Tiamat's voice.
"You'll love it, believe me!" Rossweisse exclaimed, making an appearance alongside her two friends.
Even Ophis herself looked somewhat surprised at the change of attire they were wearing.
Rossweisse was wearing a mermaid style dress, the difference being that it closed at her waist, making the lower half of her body covered from behind and in front, except for a part of her legs and waist that were visible. Its predominant color was a rather striking blue with a white flower that ran along her waist up, ending on one of her breasts.
Tiamat was wearing a dress quite similar to Rossweisse's, what mainly differentiated them was the white and silver color that stood out from her dress, added to the two wristbands with glitter that covered her entire forearm and two of her fingers on each hand. In addition to that difference, Tiamat's dress featured an inverted neckline, unlike Rossweisse's which was the other way around. Her black heels stood out against her dress, and her straight hair fell behind her forming a sort of halo below her hips.
Penemue was no slouch with her new way of dressing, and what stood out the most about her was her ponytail and the large amount of bangs that fell over her face. Her clothing seemed to be much more reserved than the previous ones, as it consisted with a grayish blue striped jacket with the combination of white stripes. She was wearing a black colored choker that was quite visible, as her jacket was half open because of her huge breasts, who were pressed tightly to the white shirt she was wearing. Much of her legs were visible, as she was only wearing shorts that fit her body well.
Seeing that Issei didn't seem to react, Penemue decided to speak up.
"We thought it would be best to change our outfits for this encounter..." Penemue brought a hand over her breasts as she gave him a small smile. "What do you think?"
"They look great!" Issei held up both thumbs at the same time as a large amount of air came out of his nose.
"So, shall we get moving?" The one who asked was Rossweisse, delivering a rather contagious animated smile.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"What did you want to talk to me about, sister?" Questioned the Demon King, who was sitting at his desk while looking intently at the redhead sitting across from him.
"It's about the Sekiryuutei..." Rias' fists clenched slightly. "I was planning to start my approaches during these weeks, but he's not willing to listen to me. Not only that, it seems Ophis' words had some effect on him that we obviously didn't expect."
"Wait, are you telling me that you made no progress with him at all during this whole time?" Sirzechs asked, and that question made Rias get quite tense.
"It's not my fault!" She tried to defend herself as quickly as possible. "You know he's completely crazy about training all day!"
Sirzechs fingers echoed on the wood of his desk, noting the obvious impatience he was covering up right now.
"I understand that the situation right now is a bit complicated, and that's why I devised the school trip." The Demon King stated to Rias' surprise. "I am aware that Tiamat acts as a mother to Issei, and for that reason is why she is always looking out for him, especially when it comes to some woman she distrusts, and we know quite well that her relationship with the Demons is somewhat...delicate, to say the least." Sirzechs explained, then resting his chin on his two hands. "That's why I excluded her from the group of teachers, though I tried to do it in a discreet way so that no one would suspect. Now that she's not with Issei, your chances of getting close to him will increase quite a bit." Rias couldn't help but look at him with great confusion.
"But I understand that that trip was only for first and second-years..." She gave her point, getting a chuckle from her brother.
"That was another way to evade suspicion. I think Tiamat has you in her sights, she sees you as one of the most dangerous that can get close to Issei. Truth be told, she's right..." This last he remarked mostly to himself, though he quickly picked up the conversation. "Where I'm going with all this is that, no one would expect a third-year student to be in Kyoto hanging around a second-year student's room at night, right?" This last he said with an air of smugness, getting Rias to smile mischievously as she understood her brother's plan.
"I see, it's not a bad plan..."
"Of course not." Sirzechs declared, then frowned. "That's why I know everything will work out perfectly. Only a fool could let me down..." That mischievous grin of Rias' was replaced by one of nerves after she understood perfectly what her brother was trying to tell her.
Sirzechs eyes narrowed after his sister's reaction.
"I guess you understand what I'm telling you..."
"..."
"..."
"Right?"
Oblivious to all this, the fun was beginning at the American fair...
"Hey, isn't that woman too pretty?" A man asked his friend next to him, looking specifically at a black-haired woman holding a rather large hammer in one of her hands.
"She seems to be accompanied by those two other beauties and there is only one man." His friend whispered to him, noticing the obvious intentions. "Don't you think we could have a little fun with either of them?"
"Leave it to me." Declared the man with complete assurance as he adjusted his tousled hair to look cooler, as he saw it.
"Do I have to hit him here to earn rewards?" Penemue slung the hammer over her shoulders in search of answers as she eyed the old woman in control of the stall.
"You'll only get rewards if you hit seventy power on the meter. You will be able to get two rewards if you max out the meter, which so far no one has managed to do." The old woman stated calmly.
"I understand..." Penemue nodded, then lowered the large hammer from her shoulder.
"Hey, cutie..." The man approached from behind her back with that confident smile on his face. "This is too much for you, if you want I can help you..."
The man couldn't finish his offer as Penemue raised the hammer in both of her hands. Her crimson eyes glowed a red color so intense that it seemed to be the coming of death itself as the hammer descended through a blur of speed.
The hammer hit the target, and the force gauge went all the way to the limit, only to be split in half by the sheer force it had used.
The poor men watching nearby got a completely aghast and shocked expression, starting to quietly walk away.
"Did you want to play?" Penemue looked over her shoulders to watch the man who wanted to stalk her. "I don't think it works very well."
The man froze completely still as he mumbled random words.
"That's why I said it wasn't a good idea..." Rossweisse stated quietly, being overheard by Issei and Tiamat, who couldn't help but agree as they saw the result.
"Excuse me, could I have the two prizes?" Penemue approached the counter, seeing how the old woman was crying comically.
"My-my machine!" She exclaimed. "I'm not going to give you anything!"
"Huh?" A creepy expression flashed across the Cadre's face, making the poor old woman tremble with fear.
"Just kidding, take whatever you want!" Penemue's look was appeased after hearing such words.
"I want those two fish tanks." La Cadre pointed with her hand.
"Here you go!" The old woman would deliver both products to her as quickly as possible. "Please don't ever come back!"
"Thank you." Penemue bowed her head slightly before turning back to her friends.
"Do you want to buy some fish?" Tiamat inquired, as she found the choice her friend made rather curious.
"I was thinking a while ago that I needed something to protect the two cultures Issei gave me. I think this could do its function." Cadre stated, managing to get a smile on the brown-haired man's face.
"You really like them, huh?" Penemue couldn't help but lower her gaze with a slight blush.
"I can't help it, they're very important to me." She replied with slight shyness.
"Now what shall we do?" The one who asked was Rossweisse, who looked quite animated.
"Come to think of it, I'd like to go to a particular place..." Issei's look became exaggeratedly serious, something that caught Tiamat and Penemue's attention, while Rossweisse seemed to understand what he meant.
"Oh, so you want to go to a particular stall?" The Valkyrie played dumb, but she knew perfectly well what he was thinking of.
That place...
Issei and his three friends walked through much of the fair, until they came to a particular spot.
The brown-haired man's hands dropped below his waist as he saw a particular stall. The middle-aged man in a cap while smoking spotted him, and his defiant smile made it quite clear that he already knew him.
The moment their gazes connected, an Old West music came out of nowhere as Issei wiggled his fingers, as if he was quickening them for what was to come.
Issei approached at a slow pace towards the stall, while Tiamat and Penemue had a plethora of question marks over their heads.
"Have they met already?" Was their first thought.
"I see you're back, you cocky Chinaman." Commented the man with suspicious airs.
"I'm not Chinese, I'm Japanese." Issei pounded his fist hard on the table.
"Whatever, you're all the same." The man waved his hand dismissively, indicating that he couldn't care less. "So, you're going to lose all your money again?" The subject's eyes narrowed shrewdly.
Issei couldn't help but smile at such a statement.
"Why do you think I came back?" Issei opened his fist, denoting a large amount of dollars.
"Oh..." The man eyed all the bills with a cheeky grin. "I see you came prepared. That might get you through about ten tries."
"I don't need ten, just one." He declared with a big smile covered in confidence. "Here, old man." Issei would hand him five dollars, to which the man would smile.
"Going for the jackpot once again, huh?" Commented the old man with a mischievous chuckle at the end.
"That box and necklace will be mine." Issei nodded energetically.
"Very well, give it a try." Was the man's simple reply as he pointed to the ropes.
"Did you two know each other before?" The dragoness consulted rather intrigued by the strange conversation she had just witnessed.
"It looks like Issei came here before and met him..." Rossweisse answered her, who was also pretending to be oblivious to the topic.
"This woman..." Penemue couldn't help but look at her like she was a fool. "I don't understand the arduous need to keep secret something we already know."
"I didn't study this mechanism last time. I thought I would just need a little luck to win." Issei paused in front of the dozens of ropes on the stand, which were tied to the box, and in turn, this box had a beautiful necklace tied to it along with a large amount of stones to make an ideal counterweight. "Evidently the strings are in bad condition, but I thought that with twenty tries I could find the one that was supposedly in good condition." Issei couldn't help but rub his chin as he continued to study the game. "Then I should first check to see if there are any ropes that aren't in bad condition." He concluded, fixing his gaze above where the ropes were held, where it was completely covered up.
"Why do you think so much, brat?" The man questioned him, managing to get Issei to hand him a smile.
"Excuse me, before we begin, may I take a look?" The older man looked at him with some confusion, but it wouldn't be long before he nodded.
Issei turned his gaze back to the ropes, then did something that made the stall owner very nervous.
The brown-haired man climbed onto the roof that held the ropes.
"What are you doing?" The man peeked his face up to look at Issei angrily. "That's a cheating!"
"'Cheating'?" Issei climbed down from the roof, noticing an innocent smile. "So, leaving all the ropes almost completely cut off isn't cheating?" That comment made the poor old man nearly have a heart attack.
"Get out of my stall!" Exclaimed the man in a great rage.
"Well, you could let me play, or I could just go tell the stewards here that your post is illicit..."
"What do you want?" Asked the old man bluntly, knowing that his stall and job were at risk.
"Just let me play it my way. If you do, I swear I won't say anything." Declared the brown-haired man, taking one of the ropes.
"Play your way? Any way you want." Was the instant reply from the man, who couldn't help but grin mischievously. "Do you seriously think you can lift the box with any of the ropes? I damaged them enough myself to make sure that doesn't happen. You're a big idiot if you think that by a stroke of luck you'll manage to..."
The old man was unable to finish, as he watched in complete stupefaction as Issei grabbed all the ropes, then pulled them tightly, drawing the box into his hands.
"thanks for the game!" Issei exclaimed, who gave the paralyzed man a small pat on the shoulder before taking his leave.
"My money..." Was all he could say as his cigar fell out.
"That's pure gold..." Penemue couldn't help but look rather impressed as she noticed the quality of the necklace.
"What will be inside the box?" Rossweisse asked impatiently.
"I don't know, but first..." Issei parted the ribbon that held the necklace fastened, then looked at the Valkyrie, who couldn't help but blink in confusion as she noticed his gaze.
Rossweisse's eyes widened beyond measure as Issei placed the necklace over her neck.
"The first time we came here I noticed you looking at it a lot. I hope it still pleases you." Issei whispered in her ear as he finished placing the necklace on her.
"Had you noticed that?" Rossweisse thought with a blush on her face. "I... really thank you..." Was all she could say as she fixed her gaze on the beautiful necklace, touching the carved flower on it.
Her gaze continued to fixate on the necklace, managing to let a small smile escape her face as that blush intensified on her face.
"We're not on a fake date, but you're still thinking about me. That's really nice of you..." She thought to herself, noticing that Issei was a much sweeter person than she originally thought.
"What am I supposed to do with this!" Issei exclaimed, his completely blank expression more than enough to know that the box had something strange inside.
The three of the brown-haired man's future lovers moved closer to find out what had generated such a reaction. At that moment, their expressions were covered in bewilderment.
"Four wedding rings?" Wondered Tiamat, who didn't understand what she was seeing.
"Why would anyone put something like that up as a prize?" Penemue inquired.
"Take a good look at them, it's fake gold." Rossweisse stated, then held up her necklace. "He most likely thought this necklace was fake too, that's why he put them all up as a prize."
"In fact, I'm even doubting that old man knew these were wedding rings..." Issei gave his point, whereupon they all nodded in agreement.
"What will you do with them?" Penemue asked, watching as Issei put the small box away in one of his pockets.
"I don't know, I'll think of something when I get back or just throw them away." Was the young man's vague reply.
"Now where are we going?" The one who would ask the question was Rossweisse, who would show her typical enthusiasm.
"Could we rent some barbecue grill?" Tiamat proposed the idea, and everyone seemed to like it.
"Let me join you." Penemue commented, then fixed her gaze on Issei and Rossweisse. "You two go do something else in the meantime." They both nodded in agreement, separating into two groups.
A few minutes passed as the two walked with no apparent fixed direction.
"She said that, but I don't know what to do about Ross until they get back!" Issei thought with his eyes rolling.
Just then, Rossweisse stopped dead in her tracks, something that caught Issei's attention, who quickly positioned himself next to her.
"What are you looking at?" Issei tried to follow her intense gaze without being able to come to a conclusion.
"Poor ugly little thing..." Issei couldn't help but roll his eyes after hearing Rossweisse's comment, who was slowly approaching a claw machine in which only a poor stuffed animal was sitting. "You were left here abandoned, worn out and all dirty..." She rested a hand on the glass, looking at the bear stuffed animal that looked like it was about to fall apart.
"You want it?" Issei perched beside her, watching as the Valkyrie nodded slowly while not taking her eyes off him.
Ten minutes.
Ten minutes had passed since this contest had begun.
Issei's completely pissed off expression made it quite clear what was going on.
"Shit!" The young man cursed as he watched the fucking plushie fall back down.
"Issei, I don't think you should try any harder." Rossweisse had her gaze downcast, feeling somewhat remorseful. "I said I wanted it, but I don't want you to spend any more money for me..."
"Nonsense!" The brown man exclaimed, giving her a toothy grin. "I've never been very attached to money and I really don't care much for it." He commented, charging the claw once more. "Bottom line, what good is money to me if I can't make one of my best friends happy?"
"But..." Rossweisse tried to speak, but realized she was speechless after hearing such kind words from her future lover.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Issei's fist clenched in victory as the stuffed animal was finally in his hands.
The young man walked over and handed it to her hands. Rossweisse hugged the stuffed animal with both of her hands as she looked at it with an enthusiastic gleam in her eyes.
"Will you name it something?" He decided to ask, seeing that the Valkyrie seemed quite attached to the worn stuffed animal.
Rossweisse paused to think about it for a few seconds. It was more than obvious that she was taking the subject with absolute seriousness, something that made her look rather cute according to Issei.
Finally, a great gleam of decision covered the Valkyrie's eyes, who smiled with great energy.
"He'll be called Peluchinchon the Furry!"
Issei stared at her without apparent expression, managing to make the Valkyrie a little nervous.
"Maybe that's too childish a name?" She said, smothering the poor stuffed animal between her breasts.
"Are you kidding?!" Issei exclaimed with a toothy grin, impressing the Valkyrie. "That's the best name ever!"
"Really?!" Rossweisse's face lit up completely after hearing such words.
The people passing near them looked at them with a certain strangeness, as the glow of happiness and complicity revolving around the two of them was too intense to be just a simple stuffed toy.
"Hey, we already got a barbecue!" Tiamat exclaimed, arriving along with Penemue.
"Was that so hard?" Issei asked them, noticing that they had taken longer minutes than he thought.
"You expect to find a barbecue inside a fair? It was obvious that it would take a while to get one, and even longer to find a place inside the fair that would allow us to use it. In fact, I had to use a bit of force for that last one..." Replied Penemue, who had a light blue lipstick over her hand.
"This is..." Rossweisse moved closer, noticing that Penemue's lips were now a shade of black.
"Hold still." She ordered Tiamat, who looked somewhat surprised as she began to put the lipstick on.
"Hm, this tastes sweet..." She tasted her lips as she noticed it.
Penemue fixed her gaze on Rossweisse, then tossed her a red lipstick.
"You should try it."
That was the last clear conversation that was remembered on that day, for what followed it into the night were only purely fleeting memories covered in euphoria.
The first thing that happened at that party was an ice skating rink and the barbecue. While Tiamat and Penemue were having fun on the ice, Issei was preparing the fire while trying to teach a thing or two to Rossweisse, who seemed quite interested in the subject.
It didn't take long for the other two women to leave the establishment, and when they joined them again, they were carrying a large number of bottles of alcohol. Issei refused to drink after stating that it was not something that appealed to him, while Rossweisse decided not to drink at all because of the great weakness she had for these substances.
The dinner passed with a certain normality, except for the fact that the three of them were with their jaws on the floor when they noticed how Penemue drank a large amount of alcohol and was not even affected by it. That was not the case for Tiamat, who started to get a little strange in the middle of the meal, the fact that she had created a sort of moustache on her face with the cream was more left all suspicions of her drunkenness more than evident. Her friends could only laugh after seeing how the dragon laughed and tried to eat the mustache she had created herself.
The next thing that could be seen was the four of them on the roller coaster. Anyone would say that it wouldn't be such a fun event for beings that can go much faster than the ride itself, but Penemue and Tiamat seemed to have chosen that place as they were happy in a twisted sort of way as they saw the frightened expression of all the people accompanying them. Issei and Rossweisse noticed this, and could simply look at each other, then shook their heads as they smiled.
The next stop was the ice-cream parlor, where people looked a bit surprised to see how the drunken dragon was being held by her friends.
Why was she being held?
According to Tiamat, the woman tending the shop had looked at Issei's body in a rather blatant manner.
Issei could only bow several times in apology before leaving the place. Of course, that attitude meant that they didn't finish preparing Penemue's ice cream, so the brown-haired man shared his with her under everyone's gaze. It was a somewhat peculiar sight, as they were both eating from a cone and the Cadre had a somewhat tender way of tasting the ice cream, or maybe she was like that as she was very embarrassed at the thought that she might touch Issei's tongue or lips by accident.
After that, they all went to the outside of the fair to set off some fireworks, as Rossweisse had never seen some up close before. To say she was happy was an understatement, she looked like a puppy who had found her owner after searching for days.
They didn't take long to teleport somewhat away from there, as they wanted to sail over the huge mountain range of the country at night. It is worth noting that they all had to summon coats due to the cold weather in such a place. In fact, Issei and Rossweisse seemed to be on the verge of freezing, although they did their best to keep warm, childish races with each other was the method.
The next thing to remember in that thick mountain was the large amount of confetti they threw on the dragoness, being a way to celebrate her birthday due to the fact that they couldn't do it properly at the time. She looked quite happy as she sat playing with the confetti next to Ross, while Penemue and Issei stood on the sidelines watching the beautiful scenery they had. It didn't take long for Cadre to rest her head on her future lover's shoulder, causing him to give her a smile as he began to gently stroke her head.
The next thing they remember was a somewhat humorous event. After getting some skateboards as prizes for passing an aiming game, Issei and Tiamat found themselves eager to try using them. Bottom line, Issei sucked and Tiamat was so drunk at this point that she could barely stay on the board for half a second. Adding the fact that the streets were wet, it was obvious that the result would be disastrous for the two of them. But it wasn't disastrous for Penemue and Rossweisse, who couldn't help but laugh at every silly fall they had, even the Cadre was trying to hold in her laughter, but it was really impossible to do so when she saw how Tiamat was always left with her butt up.
"Inhale, exhale..." Rossweisse declared as she gave small pats on the back to Tiamat, who was kneeling in front of the dock with her face completely violet.
She didn't take that long to throw up, and Penemue flashed her typical expression that mixed disapproval with deep disappointment.
"If you can't hold even two bottles of sake, then don't drink." Declared Penemue, who in fact had already had more than 8 bottles and was even more lucid than those who had not even drank.
The next memory centered on Issei arriving with a large rope made of Christmas lights. Luckily for everyone, Tiamat had already recovered and was more than willing to continue playing, perhaps more than she should have, since she had a bottle of sake in her hand before the stoic gaze of Penemue who could not believe her friend's stubbornness.
As a last celebration, everyone gathered at the electric shock cars. They had to pay more than double the price to the man guarding the entrance to be let in with alcohol and the colored lights that had become completely entangled in Rossweisse, who was looking a little funny at the moment.
At that moment, the morning sunrise began to emerge slowly over their faces, making their beautiful smiles dazzle the whole place that at this hour was almost empty. Their laughter and joy was the only thing visible in their souls as they continued to crash their cars, eating sweets in the shape of necklaces they had around their necks, or hugging a bottle of sake, each scene was a reality that each one held, and it was not necessary to enumerate to know who was who. Even the instructor himself was somewhat swayed at the great happiness enjoyed by his latest clients.
"I've been in this job for many years, but this is the first time I've seen someone having so much fun." Thought the man with an invigorated smile as he watched them having fun.
At that moment, a doubt crossed that good fellow's mind.
"How did the boy manage to be surrounded by three such beautiful and nice women?"
After the great fun-covered day, everything came to an end...
"Thank you for escorting me home." Issei thanked them as he opened the door, turning around to face Ross and Penemue, who were carrying a Tiamat who was totally drunk.
"No problem, it would have been hard to carry her all the way out here. I know very well that you don't want to appear inside your residence via magic circle because it would make too much noise, and it would most likely wake up Ophis and that's probably not a good thing." Rossweisse stated, understanding perfectly what her friend was thinking.
"If you get like that again, we won't invite you anymore." Penemue's tone was solemn and crushing as he threw Tiamat into Issei's arms.
"Penu, don't be mean!" The drunken tone in Tiamat's voice was so obvious that even Issei had to turn his face away slightly after feeling the sharp breath of alcohol.
"Quiet!" Penemue gave her a small smack on her head, prompting her to give a small cry of pain. "I hope it won't give you so much trouble..." This time, the Cadre's tone was much kinder than usual, as those words had been directed towards Issei.
"Don't worry, I'll be a good drago-Ouch!" Tiamat rubbed over her head in pain as Penemue materialized the sheath of her katana to strike her.
"See you tomorrow." Rossweisse was the one who said goodbye for everyone, though the end result was quite unexpected.
"Yeah, it was a lot of fun hanging out with you girls..." Issei was unable to finish his speech, as the two women's moist lips parked themselves on his cheeks.
This caused a rather cute atmosphere to form around them.
"That's not fair!" The two women broke apart as they noticed their friend's complaints. "I want some too, darling-Ouch!"
"Quiet, you fucking drunk." Penemue had hit her with the holster again, feeling some satisfaction in watching Tiamat writhe in pain. Apparently the drunkenness was making her considerably vulnerable.
END OF CHAPTER!
I hope you liked it!
I'll try to bring the next chapter as soon as possible, maybe in a day or two. I should also add that I'll be on vacation soon, so I'll have a lot more free time to focus on this and I might be able to update two chapters per day, although that clearly depends on how long they are.
I have nothing more to say, just thank you for your patience with all this.
Thank you very much for reading!