For a moment, not a sound was made.
Then Rias stood up from her seat, palming her forehead with a tired sigh. She looked, ever so done with things.
And Riser had just arrived.
"Now then Rias, it's a bit sudden, but how about we go visit the location of the ceremony and catch up?" Riser offered, making his way over towards Rias and casually throwing his arm around her shoulder, "The date is set anyway, why don't we just get it over with and we can get to the fun side of things."
Rias' eye twitched, "Get off of me Riser." she huffed in annoyance and pulled his arm away, taking a step back.
In return, Riser just laughed.
"Hey, who the hell do you think you are!?" Hyoudou exploded, "You're being impolite towards buchou, what the hell kind of attitude is that to take towards girls?!"
…What?
Kaito gave the older boy a dead stare. As did Koneko.
That was the pot calling the kettle black. From the literal sex pest, sex offender who should have been locked up long ago for perving on random girls he didn't even know.
At least in the context here, Riser knew Rias. Though, that probably flew right over the hypocrite dragon emperors head.
"Eh, who the hell are you?" Riser in return gave Issei a bored, uncaring glance.
"Heh, I'm Issei Hyoudou!" Issei jutted his chin out proudly and declared, "I'm I am the pawn of Rias Gremory!"
"Uh-hu? Good for you I suppose kid." Riser said, and turned away from him, utterly dismissing him and redirecting his attention back to Rias.
Issei trembled on the spot at the sheer disrespect he just took, "And who the hell are you!?" he demanded.
Riser sighed in annoyance, "Honestly, you didn't even tell your servants about me?" he directed at Rias, before cupping his chin, "Actually, he doesn't seem to recognise me at all beyond our connection. Is this a reincarnated human then? That's the most likely I suppose."
Rias rolled her eyes, "It's because there was no need to tell him or any of them really, you're not that important." she shot back.
Riser gave a laughing snort, "My, you're as harsh as always, if I was still a young cherry boy you might have just brought me to tears with that."
Grayfia took that as her cue to step into things, lifting one hand and gesturing lightly at the blonde man, "This person is Riser Phenex-sama. He is a pure blood high class devil and is the third son of the legendary Phenex family," she explained, "And also the the chosen spouse for the next head of the Gremory family."
"Eh? Spouse? But…isn't Buchou the heir to the Gremory family?" Hyoudou asked, confused.
God get a clue man.
"Honestly, must we go through this song and dance every time?" Riser gave a tired sigh, making his way over to slump casually into the couch opposite Kaito, "Don't you ever get tired of being so obstinate Rias?"
"Don't you? I've said it many times over the years and I'll keep saying it. Riser, I won't marry you, so give it a rest already." Rias growled back at him, crossing her arms.
She was especially riled up. Completely unlike how she'd acted the few times Kaito had met her before. Not that he blamed her. Sure, her choice in partner ended up being just as bad, if not worse than Riser, but it wasn't really about Rias' bad taste.
It was the simple fact that she was being forced into it and not allowed to choose for herself that got her so riled up. He could relate. In the end it was never about Riser and she would probably be as obstinate with anyone she was forced into marriage with.
Rias quite simply, detested people having the power to order her around and have to do what they told her.
The exact same as him. And why he refused to become a devil unless he was allowed to become high class from the get go. Sure technically, he had to do what Serafall told him now, but that was more a give and take. She was his boss by another name, not his master.
Riser rubbed the back of his neck, "Y'know it's more our parents being pressing about these things, I was fine to wait, even if I lay awake at night anticipating our wedding night," he huffed, "We're not really in any position to do anything about it, the best we can do is literally make the best of it."
"Yeah, well keep dreaming, it's not going to happen," Rias rolled her eyes, "It's none of my parents business, or yours for that matter who I choose to be my husband." as she spoke, her beautiful blue eyes flickered over briefly to meet Kaito's own for a split moment, before returning her attention back to Riser.
Hmm? Was she still considering that as an option?
She growled audibly, "Everyone is hurrying things forward too much when I was explicitly promised I wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense until I finished university here in the human world."
Riser shrugged, "Your parents and Sirzechs-sama simply fear the chance of your bloodline and house going extinct," he replied swishing his finger airily, "In the previous war there was massive casualties on all three sides and the amount of houses that went extinct weren't small, there's only half of us Pillar families left at best now, isn't it natural for we pureblood devils to protect our bloodline and make sure it flourishes by joining our houses together in matrimony? A child between the two of us would be extremely valuable to our race even assuming they inherit either of our abilities, but on the off chance they get both…well, I'm sure I don't need to explain to you how valuable a devil child that has access to both the Phenex clan's immortality and your own Power of Destruction would be, hmm?"
Hmm, actually, that was a topic that interested him. It was alluded as a possibility here and there, but never really breached.
"What are the odds on that by the way?" Kaito interrupted their little squabble, "You pureblood devils are pretty barren and low in potency as far as the swimmers go, so how many devils have actually inherited more than one bloodline at this point?"
"Hmm? Another reincarnated human?" Riser gave him a bored look, which Kaito returned, "Honestly Rias, don't you educate your peerage at all? To answer your question human-kun, it's very rare. Ajuka-sama theorises that it is a one in one hundred chance, how he came to such a number I'm not so sure, but regardless I am not in any position to question the genius of the legendary Beelzebub-sama."
"That so?" Kaito mused. A one in one hundred chance wasn't great odds at all, for a devil. And wasn't a guarantee that at least one in a hundred pureblood devils would inherit the power of both parents.
He idly wondered how his sacred gear would effect that kind of thing? When in use, it boosted everything about his body, from his strength, to his speed, to the rate he recovered and even senses. It should, by that logic, apply even to his sperm as well.
If he was capable of using Ddraig's Gift as well, he'd be capable of massively boosting the fertility of male and female devils alike.
As it was, he would just be limited to the potency of his own sperm.
Not that he planned on having kids anytime soon. He was biologically immortal more or less now, which was still a bit surreal to think about and wouldn't need to think about that for a long time yet.
"Moving on," Riser turned his attention back to Rias, "Your brother Sirzechs-sama left the Gremory household behind when he became the Satan Lucifer. That means you are the only one who can carry on the Gremory bloodline now."
"…No it doesn't?" Kaito interrupted again, "Pretty sure Sirzechs has a kid who's a Gremory, and Rias' parents aren't in danger of dying anytime soon as far as I know, so they could pop out some more kids as well."
Under the slightest scrutiny that argument fell apart instantly.
Instead of being annoyed though as he expected from Riser, the blonde man just shrugged, "You'd think so wouldn't you? I'm only parroting what I've been told by Rias' parents themselves, I can only assume they have no interest in any more children and Sirzechs-sama has greater plans for young Millicas," he retorted, "Again, not really my business. If you wish to dig deeper into such a thing, well, Sirzechs-sama's queen and wife is right here, you may feel free to bother her about it, though I don't recommend it human-kun."
Well when he said it like that, it did make some little amount of sense. And painted Rias' parents in an even worse light. Especially since he knew Sirzechs was against the marriage.
He looked to Grayfia who met his stare head on impassively, not blinking at all.
Riser might have been afraid to get on Grayfia's badside. But, unlike him, he, like Grayfia, was the member of a Satan's peerage, not that Riser knew that.
"Care to weigh in?" he asked.
"No." she replied simply and offered nothing more.
Lovely.
"Well, there you have it." Riser snorted.
God politics was a pain. He hadn't even gotten fully involved yet and already he decided that it sucked.
"This is so complicated, I didn't know the underworld had such complex things going on." Hyoudou groaned.
It wasn't really though. It was literally as simple as one plus one equals two. Lots of devils were dead, they were endangered, so an arranged marriage like this was made simply to birth new devils and keep the bloodlines and species as a whole going, the more the better.
"Putting this aside, it doesn't matter anyway," Rias brought the topic back on point, "I won't destroy the Gremory House. I do plan on taking a husband."
"Oh?" Riser's eyes lit up, "So you'll marry m-"
"But I won't be marrying you Riser," Rias cut him off before he could get his hopes up, "I will marry someone who I want to and who I think is a suitable match, we devils of the old houses should have at least that much of a right."
Riser gave a heaving sigh, eyes narrows as he stood up, "You know Rias, I've actually been very tolerant of you I think. I always try at least to be pleasant with you and am understanding of your plight in this, but I do you know bear the name of Phenex and represent my clan here. I can't just have you insult us like this with your attitude," he told her, voice lowering to an almost threatening degree, and as he did, Kaito felt the ambient temperature of the room rise as the mans magic power spiked aggressively, "I even came out of my way to meet you here in the human world, and you do know how little I like it here, remember? The winds of this world are stale and filled with filthy pollution, it's very difficult to bear it as one who of the Phenex Clan that governs over both fire and wind!"
As he finished speaking, great wings of burning flame erupted from Riser's back, casting the Occult Research Clubroom in an hot, amber glow, "I will definitely take you back to the underworld with me," he growled, before gesturing broadly at the other side of the room, where Kaito and the rest of Rias' peerage, "Even if I have to incinerate all of your servants and prove my convictions!"
The heat in the room swelled to oppressive levels and Kaito could see sweat breaking out on the skin of Rias' peerage. Personally, Kaito found it quite pleasant.
He was hotter after all.
"…Just by touching those flames, we'd get reduced to cinders." Hyoudou swallowed heavily as Asia clutched at his arm worriedly.
Akeno didn't react much, beyond a tightening of her hands, while Kiba's hand went to his waist as if to draw a sword and Koneko sitting beside Kaito, tensed like a wound spring, her breathing becoming a little laboured.
An oppressive darkness spiralled out from Rias' body to meet the flames erupting from Riser's back and clash against them.
And Kaito wished they'd just get to the damn point already. This posturing with nothing going on was getting annoying.
Them throwing around all that power, made Kaito itch to jump to his feet and throw around a little bit of his own and show them both who the top dog was.
Kaito resisted, albeit barely.
But only because he had his own side of a deal to uphold here and he wasn't sure how things would go if he showed he was already stronger than Riser. He may not accept the rating game at all.
He scratched at the back of one of his hands to distract himself though, just in case.
"Rias-sama, Riser-sama, please calm down,if you do something rash, I won't hold back against either of you," Grayfia finally spoke up a few moments later into their posturing, while Kaito breathed a silent sigh of relief as they both froze and retracted their posturing powers, "This is for Sirzechs-sama's honor."
"Haha…yes, sorry about that, I let my temper get the better of me, it won't happen again," Riser apologised as his flaming wings fizzled away, "If I'm told that by the one regarded as the strongest queen, what else can I do but comply? I have no interest in offending Sirzechs-sama's peerage which is known to be a collection of monsters."
"Tch." Rias clicked her tongue. Hmm, was she hoping it would go into a fight?
She looked at him and shot him a brief smile, confirming his thoughts.
Ah, she wanted to goad him into a fight and then use it as chance for him to crush Riser then? Would that have worked? Was it really as simple as being able to be called off simply because Rias had a bigger stick?
Devils man, they confused him so damn much.
"It was expected things would go this way," Grayfia nodded lightly, "If this cannot be settled by mere words, then how about this? Rias-sama, if you are insistent on not marrying Riser-sama, then we can go to last resort measures."
"Last resort measures?" Rias repeated, but Kaito could see a knowing look in her blue eyes. She already knew what Grayfia meant. And considering their discussion last night…
Had she been antagonistically angling towards a rating game all this time to get out of her marriage? Did she do that in the other timeline? But in the other one, she wasn't sure she could beat Riser at all even if she managed to train Hyoudou up a bit.
Did his presence embolden her?
"If you vehemently disagree to this union, then how about you both settle this like adults?" Grayfia suggested, "And have a rating game."
Ah yes, because the adult thing to do is both gather up a gang of their friends and beat the crap out of the other.
Instead of say, digging their feet in and refusing Rias demands because unless you literally committed suicided or fled from her family and abandoned them, there was literally nothing she could do about the marriage.
"While true you are not an adult yourself yet Rias-sama, and cannot participate in an official rating game, you are allowed to take part in unofficial ones." Grayfia continued.
"Meaning mother and father are aware of how far I'm willing to take this to defy their wishes," Rias smirked, eyes glinting with the light of victory, "They just won't be satisfied without tampering with my life will they? Hmph, fine with me, this will let me put this to bed and be done with it."
"Pfft, you're accepting it?" Riser snorted, "I don't mind, but you know Rias? I've experienced rating games myself, and not to brag, but I've been doing quite well for myself. Are you sure you want to do this? If you just accept the marriage you'll save yourself a lot of pain and humiliation."
"Save your squawking," Rias jutted her chin out defiantly, "I'll blow you and your peerage away Riser."
Kaito winced. That was a poor choice of words.
"You'll find that you lack the capacity to blow me away," Riser crossed his arms, "And once I win, You'll have no choice but to obey and we'll be getting married right away."
…Of course Riser apparently sucked at trash talking as well. If it were him, he would have been responded with something along the lines of 'You'll be blowing me, that's for sure.' or something to that degree.
"Very well, I Grayfia the queen of Sirzechs Lucifer confirm both of your acceptances of the Rating Game," Grayfia declared, "Is it alright for me tp manage the games details?"
"Yes." both Rias and Riser confirmed as they stared each other down.
"Understood," Grayfia bowed her head, "I will convey the news to both of your families."
"Honestly," Riser huffed in amusement, "Rias, tell me, this little gathering of hanger-ons lounging around in here with us. Are they all that you have for your peerage?"
"Yes, what about it?" Rias replied.
"Won't a rating game between the pair of us be a bit of a joke then? The only one of worth amongst this motley little crew of yours, is your queen," Riser laughed, "Honestly, they won't even be a match for my peerage. Here, let me show you." he added and clicked his fingers.
A moment later a familiar burning magic crest seared its way into existence, flames swelling up from it and forming into a large flame, multiple shadowy figures appearing within the flames, before it burst apart to reveal a gaggle of girls.
Fifteen in total.
Riser's peerage.
And harem.
Cat girls, loli's, maids, a priestess, a punk girl, a belly dancer and more. It was a peerage and harem filled with all manner of harem tropes.
Right down to the little sister character.
For a man who said he hated the human world, Riser sure was well versed in the harem tropes of human anime.
Kaito's attention was brought instantly to Ravel Phenex, well, her and the two cat girls.
But he didn't get the chance to scrutinize them for more than maybe three seconds before-
Hyoudou sniffled loudly, drawing all attention to him. And Kaito couldn't help but sigh and resist the urge to palm his forehead when he saw the boy literally crying tears of literal admiration.
"Oi…oi Rias," Riser drew back, a disgusted look on his face, "Why is this servant-kun looking at me and crying? It's grossing me out here."
'Welcome to my world Riser Phenex-kun.' Kaito snorted.
Rias sighed, and unlike Kaito could not resist the urge to palm her forehead, "That boy, Issei-kun's dream is to have a harem of his own one day, I think he's deeply touched by seeing your own." she reluctantly admitted.
"Ew, disgusting." one of the green haired, chainsaw wielding loli's face drew up in disgust.
Her twin sister nodded in agreement, "Riser-sama, this cockroach is making me feel like vomiting up my lunch."
Riser in return laughed loudly, "Now now girls, it's not his fault. It's just natural for the low caste to look upon those above enviously."
"Lowly?!" Issei sputtered, his tears of admiration coming to a sputtering stop as he was insulted.
"Here, let's show him what he can never have." Riser added, making his way over to cup one of his green haired loli's cheeks and sweep her up into a full on tongue wrestling kiss, while he reached out with his other hand to grope the svelte chest of the other, drawing moans from both young girls.
…Honestly how old were they? They looked like fourteen at most. And that was being generous.
"Oh…so erotic!" Issei cheered, completely losing his sudden anger at being insulted as he stared at Riser making out with his overly young woman.
Rias outright facepalmed while Asia squeaked and covered her face in embarrassment.
Riser pulled back, a string of saliva still connecting his lips with his loli's and grinned devilishly at Issei, "Jealous Low-Class-kun? he teased, "Like I said, you won't ever be able to do this."
Well, he wasn't really wrong. Even when offered anything in the other timeline, the guy pussied out.
But was making out with a few admittedly cute girls really that big an achievement? It wasn't like any of these girls could compare at all to Yanagi or Irina, except maybe Ravel.
"Damnit, don't bring that up when I'm already thinking it bastard!" Issei roared angrily, brandishing his fist, the Boosted Gear flashing into existence atop it, "I've decided, I can't let this marriage go through, a womanizer like you is ill-matched for buchou!" he declared.
"Hmm?" Riser eyed the gauntlet on his hand, before snorting, "But weren't you just admiring this womanizer?"
This…was absolutely moronic.
"S-shut up, even if you're cool like that, it doesn't change the fact that even if you married buchou you'd still go around kissing other girls!" Issei accused.
Only for Riser to ignore him and start making out with one of his peerage members dressed as a maid.
'I'm going to rampage.' Kaito felt his eyebrow twitch, his magic power rising up and simmering under his skin. He'd show them what true domination was and it wasn't something so paltry as making out with a few random girls to show off!
He noticed Grayfia's eyes snap to him and narrow lightly at him. He raised his eyebrows at her challengingly.
"Oh you're so cool Low-Class Hero-kun," Riser pulled back from kissing the maid girl, one hand casually groping her ass and grinned at Issei, "The girls will love you for sure…oh wait, I don't see any around you."
"Ah!?" Issei growled, "You sure talk big! Phenex clan? Legendary fire bird? More like yakitori, should I stick you on a skewer bwuk bwuk?!"
"Y-yakitori!?" Riser sputtered, and it was telling that he knew what it was. All that talk about not liking the human world was total bullshit, "Damn Low-class deviil! Rias, what the hell, why don't you teach your subordinates some respect!"
"Hmph." Rias snorted and turned her nose up at him.
Issei grinned at her actions, looking emboldened, "You roasted chicken punk! I'll crush the likes of you with my boosted gear right now!" he shouted, bringing his fist to bare, the green gem on the gauntlet flashing brightly.
[Boost!]
"So it was the Boosted Gear after all!" Riser's eyes widened ever so minutely. He looked over his shoulder, "Mira, test him out." he said, directing his words to the smallest girl of his peerage, a young blue haired girl carrying a wooden staff.
"I'm not one to hit little girls, so I'll just get rid of that staff and-" Issei declared as he rushed towards Riser, the girl shooting past the blonde haired man she called king a split moment later.
Before Issei could react, the end of her staff was jabbed into his stomach, thrusting the air out of his lungs and bodily lifting him up and sending him flying through the air.
He would have soared over and slammed into the wall, if not for Kaito standing up with a sigh and catching him around the collar.
Issei dangled the air, held up only by Kaito's hand, eyes wide, choking spluttering escaping from his mouth as he tried to regain the air knocked from his lungs.
"…Can you be anymore pathetic?" Kaito sighed in annoyance. He wasn't even angry at this point. Or even disgusted him with like before. He was just plain disappointed.
She wasn't even moving that fast.
He could have dealt with that before he even got his memories from his other life and his second sacred gear.
"…I am in agreement, that was truly pathetic," Riser scrutinized Issei with eyes like that of a man looking down upon a disgusting bug, "This girl is Mira. She is one of my pawns, my newest and out of all my pieces, she is the weakest by far.
Boosted Gear? The legendary longinus of the Red Dragon Emperor, said to be capable of defeating even the Great Satans and slaying gods. But that is wrong, the true power of that longinus, only shows itself in the hands of someone of note. In your hands, it is nothing more than a useless trinket."
"Y…you b-bastard." Issei struggled to grit out as Asia rushed over to him in concern, a pair of bright silver rings appearing on her fingers.
Kaito dropped Issei onto the couch and let Asia deal with him.
"I do like your spirit though and it could be more fun if you were a bit stronger," Riser stroked his chin and mused aloud, not caring at all that Issei was winded and hardly listening, "And honestly, the rating game will of course be televised. It would look rather pathetic of me to bully my future wife and a Red Dragon Emperor so pathetically weak. Perhaps some time to train for you all wouldn't be remiss? Ten days or so should be enough I suppose."
"Are you saying you'll give me a handicap?" Rias frowned at him.
"I'll win either way, at least this way I give you some face, no?" Riser shrugged, "A rating game isn't as simple as believing in your peerage and giving emotional speeches and no amount of strategy will let you overcome a gulf in power this big. No matter how much talent one has, it means nothing if they can't bring it out. I've seen many talented people never bounce back from losing and lose all their fire, I don't want that for you. Besides, a kings disposition can only be shown truly when they draw out the potential of their servants, I wonder how yours measures up to mine?"
He'd had enough. This, was pissing him off. He didn't need to wait for any of this to play out. He didn't need to wait another ten days.
He could be done with it today and return to his own life.
"Enough of this crap," Kaito snapped and marched over to Riser, "This nonsense doesn't mean squat with me here."
"Watch it!" the girl, Mira standing beside Riser snapped, lashing out at him even quicker than she had Issei.
The back of his hand met her cheek and she was sent flying through the air like Issei before her, smashing into the wall on the opposite side of the room, "Outta my way weakling." Kaito bit out, his instincts risen full up to the surface and he felt no need to draw them back.
"Mira!" Riser's eyes widened in outrage and he growled at Kaito, "You've got guts human-kun, raising your hand to my peerage like tha-
"Oh shut the fuck up you clown," Kaito got in his face and stared down into his eyes, showing the height difference between them, and sheer gulf in how broad they were. Riser was slim, lean and fit. Kaito was built like a juggernaut, "I've listened to you prattle on enough and I'm tired of it. Honestly, how cringe can you get? Did you seriously have your peerage waiting to teleport on a signal from you? To what, show them off? Not impressed mate."
"Ah…eh?" Riser was totally taken aback by his words.
"And seriously, your whole tripe about hating the human world when you've got a walking talking trope of girls from human anime, mate get a life, stop trying to hide the fact you apparently watch anime and shit, it doesn't make you cooler, just more pathetic," Kaito ranted and it felt good, "We don't need ten days, we can settle this right here and now. I'll crush you and your entire peerage with one hand tied behind my back."
"You're sure big for your britches reincarnated human boy, let me guess you have a strong sacred gear as well that lets you talk a big game just like low-class-kun over there?" Riser found his voice and shot back, "Fine if you want to fight now, I'll show you the difference between one born in the high class like myself, and a rubbish human like you."
"I don't need my sacred gear to take you on," Kaito bared his teeth, pressing his forehead into Riser's and pushing him down with it, and feeling a savage glee within his breast as Riser tried to push back and was completely unsuccessful, "And you're one to talk big, your whole shtick of acting big is showing off a few useless girls? The only interesting ones in your entire peerage worth taking note of is your literal sister you incest loving freak and the neko girls, but even they're a disappointment. What's with their cat ears? They don't even match their hair. If you're gonna show off neko girls, it's gotta be a white haired one with yellow eyes and white cat ears, don't talk to me unless you can bring that to the table you disappointment."
He heard a choking splutter behind him, but ignored it as he mean mugged Riser and began calling on his energy. Dragon Aura and Touki both, he was going to pulp his head between his palms and show him the difference in strength between them.
"Not only did you insult me, but you insult my girls now!?" Riser's eyes widened in outrage and the flaming wings once more erupted from his back, "Fine then, if that's the way you want it, I'm going to put you in your place a-"
"Enough." A single word cleaved through them and Kaito found himself pulled back from Riser, or rather, thrust apart as cold air detonated between himself and the high class devil, the sheer sub zero temperature of it freezing over Riser's flaming wings and forcing them to promptly shatter.
Grayfia's made herself known, alongside her magic power. It thundered through the air powerfully and was so dense Kaito felt like a massive icy cold pressure was pressing down on his shoulders.
'Hmph.' he snorted mentally, even if his legs buckled slightly. The cold temperature at least, doused his temperature.
"Ten days, you have already given your word Riser-sama," Grayfia said, voice clipped and glared daggers at him, "And you, keep in mind who you represent."
Tch.
Kaito gave a single terse nod and looked away.
"Ah…I apologise," Riser coughed, straightening out his suit, "My temper got the better of me I'm afraid. Yes, I understand."
Riser unlike himself shuddered lightly, a cold sweat trailing down the side of his face at the feel of Grayfia's power.
The blonde looked to Kaito with a frown, "Well settle this at the rating game ten days from now human-kun," he huffed, and then looked to Rias, "If it's you, you should be able to bring something out of these nitwits in ten days."
He swiped his hand through the air, summoning a now very familiar blazing orange magic crest, "Let's go girls," he said, directing them into the magic circle and having them teleport away one by one, the girl dressed like a punk carrying the girl Kaito had backhanded and apparently knocked out. They began to disappear one by one through it until only Riser and his sister was left. Riser paused only to look back at Issei, "Watch yourself low-class. You being so weak, is a stain to Rias' good name. Go make something of yourself why don't you."
And then he left through the teleportation circle with a single wave goodbye. Ravel stared straight at Kaito with a frown, before following him through it a second later.
And that was that.
And here we are with the big ol chapteruno 2 to zero point oh oh ho poh? And breaking into the twenties, yay twenties!
Anyway, I obviously don't really need to cover what happened in this chapter beyond Kaito's instincts eventually getting the better of him a bit in the end. And he was doing so well too! As always if you wanna read ahead or get chapters early after I finish them, you can check em out on the Pa-atreon.
Anyway, shameless Pa-atreon plug. I've got one, go by the same username on there, easy to find and all that jazz. Support me if you want, it'd be swell, but don't feel pressured lads and ladies, I'll be uploading my stuff outside it regardless and not keeping it all behind a paywall or anything like that.