Issei looked around as he was eating breakfast. After everything that happened yesterday, he was now just eating breakfast with his mom around the dining table. The return to normalcy was almost surreal.

His dad had left for work early, saying he was going to be busy for the next week, as to prepare to take his vacation days.

Asia was sleeping in. Issei supposed his stories did keep her up late last night, and she kept wanting to know what happened next on his adventure. Then again, his parents were the same.

He abridged a lot of it obviously. Focused more on the silly moments, while underplaying the danger of the "cool" moments. Asia was enthralled, although he supposed a big part of that was hearing tales about actual saints and saintesses. His parents noticed how he adjusted his stories, but didn't say anything.

Issei was grateful for that. He wasn't sure about getting into the details of the dangers of the Singularities, or actually tell them about the hardships he went through. He worried and scared them enough as it was from just what happened with the Fallen Angel Raynare awhile ago.

"Issei," His mother spoke. "Do you think Rias-chan would teach me some magic?"

Issei blinked then looked up from his meal. After a beat, he gave her a deadpanned look.

"Mom, seriously, magic isn't something to learn to make chores, and traveling to the store easier." He said.

"I-It's not just about that!" Miki pouted, then a small smile came to her face. "I wondered if there are spell to talk to people in other worlds." She confessed.

"Huh?"

"Fujimaru Ristuka." She said with a smile. "I wanted to thank that girl for bring my son back to me."

"...Mom." Issei couldn't help but smile bashfully back, touched by Miki's words.

"Also for making my son into a man." She said proudly.

"Mom!" Issei cried out red faced.

Miki Hyoudou laughed at her son's embarrassment, then teased him even more upon realizing that he never denied the claim.

Issei walked into Kuoh Academy expecting his day to be normal.

As normal as going to school with a group of devils can be.

"N-No! This is a dream. A nightmare! It has to be!"

"Rias-onee-sama, why!?"

"With Hyoudou of all people?!"

"Was this his plan all along? To play cool and mysterious and learning sexy languages so he can seduce, Rias-onee-sama?"

And on the gossip of the student of Kuoh, specifically the girls went on.

"Rias." Issei spoke through a stiff smile, words going through his teeth. "What are you doing?" He said to the redhead devil hanging off his arm, smiling brightly at him.

"Issei! Buddy! Pal! My besto friendo in all the worlds~. How are you on this fine day?" Rias said, her cheerful smile it was practically sparkling.

No, it really was sparkling. Issei blinked at that.

"Are you... feeling okay?" Issei hesitantly asked.

"Exuberantly." She continued smiling.

"Riiiight." Issei said warily. "Out of curiosity, do you have any magic that hides something about your appearance or that you're a devil or anything like that?"

"No. Why?" Rias tilted her head.

As the two had been walking, and were now within the school building in a place without many prying eyes that could notice anything unusual about the duo. More than usual.

"Magic Break." Issei gently but firmly took Rias's hand and removed it from around his arm.

Rias felt a magic aura wash over her and... nothing.

"Was that suppose to do something?" She blinked in confusion.

"Just... making sure you weren't under mind control or anything like that." Issei said with a worried smile. It seemed like Rias's odd new attitude was entirely her own.

"Oh, that is just silly." She laughed and waved him off. "Say, did I ever tell you I used to travel the world when I was younger? Why don't we hang out and exchange stories about our isekai—I mean our adventures—I mean travels!"

Issei sighed. "So that's what this is about. Dammit, mom."

"FIA-CHAN! FIA-CHAN! FIA-CHAN! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!" The Satan Lucifer was practically breaking the button to call on his Queen, wife and Head Maid, as well as using the spell to summon her to his office.

Grayfia Lucifuge appear instantly from a summoning circle, took one look at her King... and held back a sigh. It would be unprofessional for a maid to sigh at her master doing something idiotic.

She knew Sirzechs for centuries now, so she knows when he's doing something stupid.

"My lord, what could possibly be the reason for your panic? Something that a Satan should never left themselves be overtaken by." She asked while advising him at the same time, with the patience of a wife of many years.

"Ria-tan's alarm is gone! She could be in danger! She could be attacked by one of the many a tentacle monsters that infest Japan!—"

"That's not a thing." Grayfia interjected.

"—OR BEING SEDUCED BY THE REINCARNATION OF CASANOVA!"

"Lord Lucifer." Grayfia said firmly while messaging her temple. "There has not, and have never been a Spirit Inheritor or a Reincarnation of Giacomo Casanova. It doesn't exist."

"But what happened to Ria-tan!?" Sirzechs said frantically. "We need to go save her! No, I will go—"

"You. Will. Not." Grayfia said firmly to her King... who was now pouting. She sighed. "I will go investigate and see what happened, and if there is reason for worry. Thus far, based on the magic of the barrier around Kuoh Academy, Rias-sama is currently at school."

"They're doing it at school!" Sirzechs cried out, looking scandalized.

"No one is having sex at school!"

After investigating and observing the magic recording items at Kuoh Academy, Grayfia found out what happened. CCTV may not be allowed at Kuoh Academy to protect the privacy of the students, but for the Devil Supervisors, she needed to have surveillance of their territory so they won't be caught unaware, and so they can review events if need be.

"Lord Sirzechs, I really think this is an overreaction." Grayfia said, while holding back a sigh. "You had meetings today."

"Yes. This one. We called ahead. We have an appointment and they're expecting us." Sirzechs said resolute, as he and his Queen stood in front a simple two story home. The Hyoudou household.

The Satan Lucifer rang the bell and a few minutes later, Miki Hyoudou opened the door.

"Ah! Mister... Zechs?" She asked. "Rias' brother?"

"It's Sirzechs, one word, madam." He said back politely. "This is my wife, Grayfia Lucifuge."

"Oh, apologizes." She opened the door fully, welcoming them. "Come on in. Gorou came quickly when I got your call." She said as the two devils followed her into her humble home.

As they all gathered at the living room, the parents of Issei and Rias's family greeted each other.

"Ah, Hyoudou Gorou, nice to meet you both."

"Sirzechs Lucifer, the honor is mine, and I'm sorry for dropping in on short notice like this."

The two shook hands and sat down face to face, while their significance other was by their side.

"No, no. I understand how important family is. So what is this involving Rias? Is everything okay?" Gorou asked, still wondering on what made the Lucifer panic so much to call them like this, and request this meeting.

"This is something that you are likely aren't to know, but my sister is engaged." Sirzechs started explaining.

"Congratulations." Miki said with a happy nod.

"Riser Phenex is an entitled little shit and Ria-tan hates him. If I have anything to say about it, before he could so much as touch a single hair on her head, I will—" Grayfia loudly cleared her throat. "—Its a complicated family situation and we all just hope for the happiness of our family members."

"Of course." Gorou nodded, with Miki agreeing, completely understanding Sirzechs position.

"Thus until the matter of the betrothment is settled, one of the conditions of the contract between the Gremory family and the Phenex is on Rias's chastity to ensure the bloodline's fidelity and purity." Sirzechs explained.

"Wow, that sounds so... aristocratic." Miki commented.

"After the civil war that ravaged our race, the Devils needed a way to ensure our population doesn't fall to the point of erasure. While Evil Pieces offered a method for our race's revitalization, a lot of those of the Pillar Families still view the blood purity of our race as being paramount." Grayfia added context on why would Devils used arranged marriages.

"I see," Gorou nodded. "You have your own difficulties." He said with sympathy. "But I'm not sure what does that do with Issei, or how we could help?"

Sirzechs and Grayfia looked at each other in silent communication for a moment, before the Queen went ahead with the talk.

"To ensure that the Gremory side upholds their end of the marriage contracts, I was tasked by the Lord and Lady Gremory to cast a spell to inform me should Lady Rias engaged in..." Grayfia politely cough. "Recreational activities with a partner."

"Oh." Miki said, sharing a blush with her husband, who was trying not to giggle. She pinched his leg under the table so he wouldn't laugh.

"I... see?" Gorou tried to say.

"And your son had removed that alarm spell!" Sirzechs immediately said, not able to keep his calm any longer. "So I would like to know, what is your son, the Red Dragon Emperor's, intention to my little sister?"

Miki blinked and raised and eyebrow. She looked at Grayfia who nodded while show embarrassment and apologizing for her husband's action with her expression. Miki turned to Gorou to asked him on how to respond.

"Mr. Lucifer, are you accusing my son of doing something improper to your sister? I'll have you know, he might be a pervert, but he's completely clueless on how to do anything to woo a girl!" Gorou said back, just as heated as Sirzechs.

"That is not helpful dear." Miki said.

"Besides, she's the Devil. Isn't it more likely she's seducing him? What is your sister's intentions for my son!?" Gorou said back.

"That's racist profiling! And I'll have you know Ria-tan is as innocent as church nun."

"So completely drown in sex novels, or in this case, hentai."

Miki and Grayfia both sighed openly, shared a look, then reached over and twisted their husband's ears to get them to stop and behave.

"Ow, ow, ow! Honey!?"

"Fia-chan, please stop using your full strength. It's gonna rip off, it's gonna rip off!"

Back at Kuoh Academy, Issei was heading in the lunch break to Rias to talk to her.

His home protection wards had been updated since Azazel's visit, and now he could observe from the barrier to see who was around or visited his house, and if there's anything to worry about.

He saw Rias's brother and his maid arrive. They didn't trigger the barrier's alarm or defenses, so they weren't there with malicious intent, but the comedic arguement between his dad and Rias' brother, while his mom and the maid manhandled the guys was confusing.

"Rias." Issei greeted Rias on the roof, where she and her Peerage ate lunch.

"Ah, Issei! Did you come to continue our talks of exchanging stories?" Rias said with a wide smile, while her Peerage around her sigh, or giggle in Akeno's case.

"We never started." Issei shook his head. "Anyways, why is your brother at my house? And why is he saying I'm seducing you?"

Silence filled the air.

Akeno began giggling, and even Koneko and Kiba tried to hold back snorting and smiling.

Rias facepalmed.

"Dammit, Onii-sama."

Later in the day, after school was over, Issei went home with Asia and Rias in tow.

Upon entering his house, Issei found it noisy.

He went to the dining room with his friends with him, and was welcomed by a bizarre situation.

Gorou Hyoudou and Sirzechs Lucifer were having a drunken ramble with one another. His father ...might be trying to comfort Satan who was whining and half-crying.

His mother and the maid, Lucifer's wife and supposed the Underworld's Strongest Queen, were comforting their respective man. Miki looked exasperated, and while Grayfia held a stoic expression, Issei had a inkling she felt the same.

"Like, this job is thankless. Literally thankless. You'd think being one of the rulers of the Devil Race would be a great prestige, but it feels like nothing but wrangling a bunch of superpowered toddlers on a leash." The drunken Sirzechs complained.

"Ooof! I know that feeling." The drunk Gorou nodded in sympathy. "Well not that same feeling. I'm not an executive manager, but a middle manager. I try to be nice to my guy since I was by their side not long ago, but its annoying how they went from 'hey Gorou, buddy', to 'Gooorou! Buddy! Can you do me a favor?'. And I don't want to be the asshole but no, you don't get to take a half-day because you're stressed. We're all stressed. And my bosses, holy shit. Stop getting into my shit on how an order is made. You want it, you'll get it on time! You getting into the details is making everyone's job harder and lousier!"

The two seemed to have been going at this for a while. There were two bottles next to them, the one near Gorou was some expensive sake, he kept for special occasions, and the one near Sirzechs had some unfamiliar language on it to Issei and some beast symbol as a logo.

"And then there's my family. I love them all, but I really wish they would do stuff to anto, anto... fight with each other. I don't want my parents and Ria-tan to fight. And my wife is too cold. Too focused on her maid play." Said Sirzechs.

"That's hot." Gorou replied.

Miki blushed while looking at Grayfia with a sympathetic embarrassed smile. Grayfia was now blushing too, and slowly raising her hand to facepalm.

"No, no. She wants me be dominating, but I don't wanna hurt her. I just want to make slow love to her."

"Man... nice."

As the two men's discussion veered into a more sensitive subject, Issei finally reacted.

"Welp. I'm gonna go outside and... look at the sky or make more figurines or something." Issei said.

"I'll join you." Rias deadpanned and speed walked behind Issei.

"Hey, Issei~!" Gorou finally noticed his son and waved at him.

"Hey, dad." Issei smiled and waved back.

"Ria-tan!" Sirzechs shouted cheerfully, before his face turned serious, while retaining his drunken flush. "Are you doing the sex with this dragon boy? Just so you know dragon pheromones aren't real, don't fall for them! And if they are, I'd count them as a rape drug, I don't care what anyone else says."

Issei and Rias were gob smacked at the nonsense the Satan Lucifer was saying.

"Lord Lucifer. The auras of powerful beings being seen as attractive is a normal facet of life.

"Super powers is a rape drug!?" Gorou cried out in shock.

"Someone needs to do something!" Sirzechs, a Super Devil, one of the strongest beings in world shouted in shock and outrage.

"Power being seen as attractive doesn't make them a rape drug." Grayfia sighed and went on to try and calm the two down.

"Grayfia, I'll see you and Onii-sama at dinner." Rias said to her older sister figure as she turned to leave.

"Of course, Rias-sama." The Strongest Maid nodded.

"Grayfia-san, I need to go start working on lunch, are you going to be fine alone?" Miki asked, deciding to escape the madness for a little while.

"Um, I'll help out!" Asia who hand been quiet thus far, follow Miki into the kitchen.

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Miki-san. I'm sorry that I can not go help out as well." Grayfia nodded with a smile in return. "I'll ensure they don't mix up each other's bottles."

Issei and Rias wisely left quietly, lest they be drawn into the drunken shenanigans.

Rias found Issei in the back garden of his house.

There was a plastic table and some chairs for place.

Issei had a box clay figurines, some paint and paint brushes on the table in front of him.

He took the figurine, a girl with a unique white uniform, with black belts above and below her chest, highlighting it. Another belt was on her waist. Her red distinct auburn red hair was the first colored. Issei very carefully painted the rest of the girl's body, before moving onto her uniform.

"Is that 'Fujimaru'?" Rias aske, wondering if that's the girl Issei met in the other world. Very quickly she composed herself to sound a bit more neutral, when she remembered how he reacted to being asked about her, back when she first had him come to the ORC house. "Huh, you really paid a lot of attention to the details on her." She said noticing the other models of Fujimaru. Some held a mischievous pose looking like she's trolling someone. Another held her in a hyped up pose. And there was another one with a serious face, as she held a commanding pose.

Rias noticed this consistent red tattoo on the girl figurine's right hand.

"Obviously." Issei replied.

"I'm surprised you didn't take liberties and exaggerate some of her features like her breasts." She said jokingly.

"Nope, Ritsuka is perfect with her 32C and she doesn't need anything more than that! Besides it compliments her figure and her gremlin personality. Smug shortstacks are where its at. Although technically she's not that short, I'm just taller than her." Issei cried out passionately, before blinking and regaining his calm demeanor. He coughed and tried to play it off. "A-hem. I mean, it would be disrespectful since she's a real person, so I have to faithfully recreate what she looked—looks like accurately. Also, um, please don't mention what I said."

Issei heard giggling from next to him.

He looked to the side to see Rias holding her stomach, and covering her mouth, while looking away.

"I'm-I'm sorry." She laughed some more, trying to look calm. "But for a moment there, you were the normal Issei I've been more familiar with." Rias said. "Not that I don't like the new Issei, but knowing the cute perverted one is still there, is kinda reassuring."

"Heh, gee thanks, I guess." He chuckled. "I mean, it's not like I don't recognize the beauty of boobs, but if it's not her, I don't really bother noticing it that much." Issei said with a melancholic look, staring at the sky, at something far away and at nothing.

"Okay, wow. Now I really wanna know more about this Fujimaru Ritsuka." Rias said excitedly. "So, before with the phonebook, you were looking for her here in our world? Was the isekai a dream world or an alternate reality?"

Issei went to answer but paused at a thought that crossed his mind.

"Not a dream isekai. Technically. I mean, it wasn't a dream world. Although I did end up in those at times." He muttered at the end to himself. "What do you consider as 'alternate realities'? Like Shaman Emperor and Reaper? Or Shaman Emperor and Final Treasure? What about Final Treasure and Fairy Glow?" Issei thought out loud.

Rias' eyes seemed to shine with excitement at the anime discussion, while holding her chin, intrigued at the thought.

"Final Treasure and Fairy Glow would be alternate realities, from each other, and from modern settings that takes place in a world like ours. Same with something like Shaman Emperor which is a urban fantasy setting, and Final Treasure which is a completely different world and setting. Shaman Emperor and Reaper would be parallel worlds." Rias paused. "Actually, both series can feasibly be part of the same world. They both use spirit energy under different names."

"Hmm, I mean sure, and the plots won't overlap since one is taking place in the living world, and the other is in the afterlife. But there is nothing like the nature spirits in the Reaper setting." Issei said as finished the Ritsuka figurine, and he began to coloring on the figurine of Scathach. The Scathach figurine was posed in a casual stance, facing someone with a smirk, while holding her red spear behind her.

"The empties, probably?" Rias said, but from her frown, she started to see the crossover theory wouldn't work.

"Those are all enemies, and nature spirits are neutral for the most part. Also no dead soul ever turned into an empty in Shaman Emperor. Maybe cursed spirits, but they just reverse to normal dead souls after getting beaten up." Issei said.

"Hmm, I was sure the two settings were more compatible? Maybe we can say because none of the Shaman tournament stuff have anything to do with the afterlife, that's why we don't see anything resembling it in Reaper?" Rias offered a theory.

"Maybe. What about Shame Emperor and Katekyo Hitman Revive?" Issei said, as he finished the Scathach figurine and started on the Nero figurine, who was posed with a large open mouth smile, eyes close, with one arm on her chest and another raised high. It was Nero singing.

"They could a same setting situation. Both use spirit energy with different terms." Rias said confidently.

"Pretty sure the Flaming Will is a sort of physical energy thing. You know, like Ki from Drag-So Ball." Issei thought back, smirking a little at Rias crestfallen expression at having her idea shot down.

Rias then quickly looked back up.

"Wait, Ki is spiritual energy." She argued.

Issei furrowed his brows in thought.

"Nooo...? Ki is physical energy, since it only increased when the character push their bodies and muscles to the limit." He said back.

"Then the entire plots involving the Otherworld in Drag-So Ball wouldn't work, since Go-tu and others were dead." Rias pointed out smugly.

Issei raised a finger to counterpoint her, then stopped and thought some more.

"I think the official explanation was Ki is Lifeforce, so maybe that makes it, its own thing that can work whether the characters were alive or dead. So maybe it's a combination of physical and spiritual like in Naruko with chakra?" Issei said.

"I'll take it." Rias nodded in acceptance. "So what do we call worlds that are similar to our modern-day setting, but have different power systems, or slightly different history, but still similar to our modern world?"

"'Compatible parallel worlds' that have a power system that's basically the same as ours but with a different name. And 'Non-compatible parallel worlds', that are modern settings but have significant differences." Issei offered a solution.

"Done!" Rias agreed with a smile. She then blinked at she felt like she was missing something. "Wait, what were we taking about originally?"

"Anime?" Issei said back, while trying to appear casual, but he couldn't hold back his amused smirk.

"Your Isekai adventure!" Rias remembered, her eyes widening and shining again. "So what was the setting you fell in? Were you summoned as a hero to battle the Demon King? Was it a world where you had to fight in a tournament as some certain kingdom's representative? Did you meet some Isekai Goddess who gave you some OP cheat power and just let you run free? Although technically Boosted Gear is a cheat power without needing anything on top of it." Rias blabbered without pause. "Or! Or! You were summoned on the demons' side to fight against some corrupt goddess and her zealous xenophobic humans?"

Issei began to chuckle at Rias' enthusiasm and motor mouth.

Rias stopped, blushing at how she acted.

"N-No, it was none of that." Issei said through the laughs.

"Ah, sorry. Calling the world you went to as a 'setting' is probably rude and insensitive. I just meant, I wanted to know the overall situation in that world, and what did you do?" She asked.

"No, no, I get it." Issei chuckled a bit more, before regaining his composure. "It not so much as summoned, as by luck and circumstances, I went to that place because I... owed a debt." Issei said with a soft look in his eyes.

"A debt?" Rias asked, tilting her head.

[Prince Hydro.]

"Shut up, Ddraig!" Issei shouted, red faced.

"Prince what?" One could almost imagine question marks over Rias' head.

"Nothing. Nothing." Issei waved his hands in front of himself, hoping to push away Rias' curiosity. "Basic situation, in that other world, well, the apocalypse already happened and mankind was dead."

"What!?" Rias cried out in shock.

"Then the group of survivors used their time machine, along with summoned souls of heroes from across all of history, to travel to the past and correct the deviations in history and to fight the Demon Gods responsible for that. So technically it was your first guess of me being summoned to defeat a Demon King. Except I wasn't summoned, I willingly volunteered to go there, and the Final Boss was a few tiers above a 'Demon King'." Issei abridged the explanation.

"PLEASE, TELL ME MORE!" Rias grabbed one of Issei's free hand with both of hers, as she looked at him with all her earnestness and curiosity. Her blue eyes were glowing with excitement. Literally.

"Well, this." Issei started to show off the figurines one by one. "Is Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the Fifth Roman Emperor. And this is Scathach, the Witch of Dún Scáith and Queen of the Land of Shadows. And this is Edward Teach, actually a bro."

"WOOOAAA—Wait. I thought Emperor Nero was a man?" Rias asked.

"Yeah, that's one of the weird mysteries of that world. Even though our history books are likely the same in everything—the mundane side at least—a lot of historical figures there surprisingly were actually women, who were just mistakenly remembered as men."

"..." Rias' expression was one of wide eyed pure wonderment and amazement. Her mouth frozen in a wide open smile, as she had hundreds of thoughts in her mind, but unable to voice them all at once, or choose which one to ask first.

Issei started showing Rias the figurines present and which Heroic Spirit they were.

For the rest of their talk, Issei told her about the Servants and diverted her attention from having to tell her the events of the Grand Order.

Grayfia held back a sigh as she continued her duties as a Sirzech's Queen and maid. Which at the moment meant making sure he doesn't embarrass himself... say anything incriminating as the Satan Lucifer.

Also she had to make sure the human liquor and the magical liquor doesn't end up drunk by the wrong person. Grayfia wouldn't let Gorou Hyoudou have his bowl implode, because she wasn't paying attention. The Red Dragon Emperor sure as heaven wouldn't accept that excuse.

"I'm suppose to be the mosh powerful person in the Underworld, managing hell. Not Capital H 'Hell', different place. Just the..." Sirzechs tried to gesture with his hands to make a sphere, failed, and reached for his bottle and pour himself another drink. "Location. Nation of devils. The official name is technically hell. Small 'h'. But we call it the Underworld, preposterously. Pretentiously."

Grayfia closed her eyes, almost in pain.

Welp, at least the human is equally as drunk, that he's unlikely to remember this conversation after he blacks out.

"Why? Wouldn't that get confusing since, what was it... other death gods have their realm in the Underworld?" Gorou asked curiously.

"Because we can. And yes." Sirzechs and Gorou giggled. "As the youth says, we're 'dunking' on the other factions, by attaching 'the Underworld' majorly to us." The Lucifer said as he took a drink of his wine.

"I think they call it 'styling' nowadays." Gorou pointed out.

"Like... barbers?" Sirzechs blinked in confusion.

Gorou shrugged and poured himself another cup of sake.

For a while the two sat in a peaceful silence. Grayfia hoped they'd start falling asleep.

"I just... I'm arguing and reining in all the old Devils, the Old Satans guys when they show up to make noise. Worse they do it officially, so I can't just kick their asses. And..." A melancholic look entered Sirzechs eyes. "It's been five hundred years since the Civil War. It feels like nothing we did helped the new generation, or changed things. Or made them grow different. The children born back then mostly grew up to be exactly like their parents, predecessors, ancestors and other 'tors'." He said with a heaviness in his tone, that made an ugly feeling of self-disappointment grab at Grayfia's heart. She had hoped that with her duties she would have eased her husband's duty and loads, yet it seemed they still weigh on him. "And in this era, I have both a sister and a son. What if I fail them too?" He said. "Rias has a lot of responsibility, but if she's free from it, then Millicas will have to carry it instead. I don't want to burden my child like that. But I also don't want my Ria to suffer."

"Who knows. You won't, until time passes." Gorou said, taking a shot of his sake cup.

"So do nothing?" Sirzechs leaned aside to rest his cheek against his palm. There was a more focused look hidden in his eyes.

"No, of course not." Gorou chuckled, not noticing anything about his drink mate's subtle demeanor. His drinking companion was The Devil after all. "You just do your best. Time passes and you'll see the result." He said. "Self-reflection every now and then is good to make sure you're still doing right, focusing on what's important, but too much is just self-misery indulgence."

Sirzechs flinched like he was struck with a verbal arrow.

"Heh, heh." He let out a weak chuckle.

"I'm old," Gorou continued. "Half a century from now, and I won't even be here." His tone wasn't disparaging or deprecating, but calm acceptance.

"...I sometimes forget how small a human lifespan is." Sirzechs commented.

"Ha! If you're that old, then shouldn't you be wise enough to not have your worries." Gorou said jokingly.

"Haha, well, with age knowledge accumulates. Wisdom however," Sirzechs sighed with a chuckle. "It doesn't always come when needed." He said. "Probably why humanity had so many philosophers. You were always closer to death than any other race."

"Well, as someone halfway there, let me tell you something." Gorou said, trying to sound seriously, but the flush on his face, and him pointing to Sirzechs' left wasn't helping his point. "And if you tell anyone I'll completely deny it."

"My lips are sealed." Sirzechs smiled.

Gorou looked serious for a moment as he stared at his cup. Looking at the sake but not drinking it.

"The life we currently live is a disgrace." Gorou Hyoudou spoke, and the two devils found themselves blinking at his odd words. "Not Issei, or other kids. But us, the adults." He began. "We work our whole lives to provide for our families, to the point that we can't act as fathers for our children. Giving away precious time, in return for meaningless things like money, or honor. Even our health. All that effort for something nebulous like 'the economy' or 'the nation'. And then at old age when we're finally done, we can rest, and take our benefits. But where do those benefits come from, one might ask? Why, from the hard work and effort of your young. And that's how it works." Gorou looked up to meet Sirzechs' eyes. "The future generation is constantly working to pay for the comfort and the luxury of us, the old relics. And then there future children, sacrifice themselves for theirs. What kind of life is that? Are we humans, or are we vampires sucking on the life force of our own children."

"...Gorou-san?" Sirzechs blinked.

"In a single day, my boy lost his life, regained it, and aged far more than I can comprehend." Gorou said, much to the two devils' confusion. "Odds are, if I was there nothing would have changed. Or maybe if I was present from much earlier, then he would have walked a different path." He sighed. "Odds are, in a decade... maybe two or three, the current system will break down. Maybe it should. From that, hopefully we can learn and make something different." Gorou drank another cup, and then let go of the glass. "The thing is, at some point you have to make a choice. Either devour the future for your comfortable present.

"Or sacrifice yourself for your children's future." Gorou smiled at Sirzechs. "You Devils are old. You don't have to live like that, but if you will live for that many years, then you have a duty to learn from history and time. You say wisdom doesn't always come, then... you're gonna have to search for it then. Toughen up your future generations." He frowned. "Not to carry the burden of their ancestors, but to be able to face the world and forge their own future. Your sister has a lot to deal with? Train her. The heirs of the Pillar Families are growing up to be copies of their parents? Teach them."

"It's not that simple." Sirzechs said back sadly.

"You're strong. Use your strength, otherwise what's the point of having it?" Gorou plainly said.

Some awareness started returning to Sirzechs' eyes, pushing away the haze of drunkenness. He didn't intent to take the human's, Gorou's words so seriously, but he found himself doing so.

"It would be abusing my position." He argued.

"Family comes first." Gorou shrugged. "Just make up some bullshit."

"Lord Lucifer can not—" Grayfia felt like she let this talk, that was starting to maybe turn into something dangerous from inebriation, went on for too long.

Yet a gesture from her King told her to stop. And so she did.

"It's irresponsible. I'm suppose to set an example, be a role model." Sirzechs argued.

"Protect the things that you love. Isn't that an example to follow?" Gorou offered with a cheeky grin.

Sirzechs found himself chuckling. "You got me there."

"I'm not saying to be cruel, or be a despot to let your desires run wild ruling you." Gorou said. "But you kinda seem like you lost the picture of why you originally started." Sirzechs froze. "You're older now. You know more now." He continued. "Just stop, take a breath, look again at what you want and need, then go do it." He said with sage-like nod. "Like if your wife wants BDSM and you want lovey-dovey sex, do both!"

Sirzechs jaw dropped, like he awakened to a revelation. Grayfia felt her eyebrow twitch.

"Now!" Gorou slammed his hands on the table as I stood up, wobbled a bit, then righted himself. "I'm gonna go find my wife, get that french maid outfit that we have in the closet for a decade now, that is definitely not her size anymore, and completely ruin it. Excuse me." And then Gorou left, like a man on a mission. "Honey!"

French maids. Grayfia thought, rolling her eyes, hiding her disgust. How fake.

Sirzechs sat down quietly in thought. Grayfia after a sigh, started cleaning up the cups and putting away the bottles, putting the magical rum in a pocket dimension.

"Grayfia." Sirzechs spoke behind her.

She turned around, only to see her King standing right behind her, grabbing her by the waist, and deeply kissing her.

Grayfia blinked as she felt the kiss and Sirzechs energy wash over her, almost acting like an aphrodisatic. She easily pushed it down... with some effort this time. She knows that's just Lord Lucifer showing her some affection, but they were on a schedule and dallied enough—

Teleportation Magic was cast.

Sirzechs had brought them back to his office back in their Lucifer Castle in the Underworld.

"My Lord." She said seriously, as she knew while his affection would be a lovely time, he had his duties, and she had to be the voice of reason, keeping him on the straight and narrow. "You have meeting after the Hyoudou visit. I have managed to reshuffle them around, but you must—"

"Grayfia." Sirzechs said with a commanding voice, shocking the Strongest Queen into silence. He looked at her straight into her eyes, some drunkenness still lingering in his own, but a bit of focus and power was visible in his irises. "I love you. Bend over."

The words struck her heart. The command struck her nethers.

And then without waiting for her to respond, the Devil turned his wife around, and bent her over his desk throwing the very important papers away.

Dammit! That was so much stuff she'd have to clean.

Yet, Grayfia couldn't be wetter.

...Welp, it's finally fucking happening.

Her heart was thundering in her chest. Grayfia tried to keep her smile off her face, since she was suppose to be "disapproving" of Lord Lucifer's chaotic behavior.

The stoic mask shattered under a minute.