Chapter 21: Secrets and Reunions

"Lord Uzumaki?" asked Gabriel in response to the blond man's outburst.

"I got a big damn surprise," he said by way of answer. "What can you and Mister Strada tell me about Noah?"

She blinked at the question. "That is a… peculiar change of topic. Why are you interested in that?"

"My answer might colour yours. I'd prefer to tell you after you've given me an overview," replied Naruto.

A chuckle from Vasco drew his attention. "I did not expect this day to involve a Bible story, but I do not mind. I will tell you what I know about Noah and will let Lady Gabriel add whatever she deems suitable. She knows more than I do, no doubt."

"Nice," commented Naruto.

"Indeed," said Vasco. "It is important to note that there is a public version of the Bible and one reserved for the Clergy. I also imagine that there are more for lower and higher ranks in Heaven's hierarchy. The version of the events pertaining Noah I know is the one written down in the Clergy's version.

"According to these records, Noah and his family were the last members of an unnamed society who had not yet abandoned their faith in God. The rest had been subsumed by the Grigori and their get. The Heavenly Father warned them repeatedly to desist, but His words fell on deaf ears. As a result, He ordered Noah to begin the construction of an ark that would house breeding pairs of all animal species within the area of effect of whatever punishment He would unleash. After he was finished and the breeding pairs loaded in, Noah and his family stepped aboard, and the Flood began. Vast areas of the world were drowned, and those lost to the Grigori's plots with it. When the Flood's end was set to come, a dove carrying an olive branch approached the ark, and a large rainbow became visible to Noah. These were the promise that there would never again be a Flood. Noah and his family then settled in lands of humans who had not been tainted by the Fallen."

Naruto frowned. The tale was interesting, especially in how it deviated from the public version, but there was no answer in it for his own questions. The solution to the problem of the Mark of Noah was close, and he could feel an inkling of it persistently banging at his memories, but he had not yet found it. Maybe Gabriel would know.

"Anything to add?" he asked her.

She nodded and said: "A few things, yes. There were certainly more than just breeding pairs onboard the ark. We Angels had spent some time pacifying entire animal populations to be brought on the ark. Noah's family also included more than just his wife, his sons, and their wives. His whole tribe was involved. Then there is the reason for the Flood; Yeqon and his fellow Compatriots in the Grigori had declared war on Heaven. This disgusting band of violent rapists ravaged the human civilisation of the time. It should be said that there were those among the Fallen who protested quite vehemently but were compelled to follow. When Yeqon's Fallen had left no more innocents alive for us Angels to defend, Father struck and crushed them all."

"Why didn't he step in sooner?" asked Naruto.

"That is… classified. I suspect Yeqon attacked precisely because he knew Father was incapable of striking back at the time," answered Gabriel. "There are also two things His Eminence forgot to mention."

This was it; Naruto could feel it. He asked: "What are they?"

"A reward and a punishment for humanity," said the Archangel. "Humans, for their role in saving many animals, would henceforth be allowed to demand a reasonable tribute from them in the form of various animal products, including meat. The 'reasonable' part of this has been neglected these past few centuries, I must admit, but humans mostly keep to the terms of their reward. The punishment was a measure to distance humans from the Fallen and curb the human arrogance that had allowed traitors to suborn any resistance against Yeqon's reign of terror. So, Father put a mark on humanity and drastically reduced their lifespans. It was meant to be a temporary measure until humans showed that they were worthy of the lengthy life Father had originally given them, but… events conspired against us."

"… So that's the answer," said Naruto. "That's what that seal is for?"

"Hm? What seal? Do you mean the one you said you sensed on me?" asked Vasco from his cell.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, exactly that. I had to figure out what it was based on the data I got from my deal with…." He glanced at Gabriel, and seeing her nod her head, continued: "… the Holy Ghost. It called the thing the Mark of Noah and told me that it targeted humanity. Seems like I got my answer."

Gabriel seemed surprised to hear this. "I am not sure how you were able to sense it. Your skill at seals may be great, but for all of humanity, the Devils, and even the Fallen to miss it across history, it must have been hidden very well."

"Oh, it is," said the former Hokage. "The only one I've felt it in is Mister Strada here. From what I can tell, that's because of a deliberate function of the seal. It's got a dual lock; one outside, and one inside. I'm pretty sure that the lock inside his open, and that it's supposed to broadcast some sort of signal at Heaven. Here, touch him and feel for yourself."

He took Gabriel by the wrist, startling her, and put her hand on Vasco's chest, who watched with amusement and curiosity. An expression of surprise came upon the Archangel when she gathered a tiny bit of holy energy in the hand that touched the Cardinal Priest.

"I… I can feel it. The second lock, I mean. It… it is similar to some of the locks in certain areas of Heaven. They require an Archangel's energy to open," she said.

"Hm… Will you open this one?" asked Naruto.

Her face was impassive for a short moment before she nodded and said: "Yes. The Mark was always meant to be temporary, and if the inner lock is open, His Eminence has clearly fulfilled the requirements Father has set."

Gabriel focussed the light in her hand, pushing it into Vasco's chest in a particular manner. It was meant to open this specific lock, Naruto surmised. The result was a soft glow which faded after a few seconds. It was not flashy at all, but there was a change that was hard to miss.

Before the eyes of Naruto and Gabriel, the old man in the call began to rapidly regain his youth. Wrinkles disappeared, muscles tightened, his eyes became sharper, and his aura changed in accordance. Vasco Strada was back in his physical prime.

"How nostalgic. I guess this is one way to go back to the roots," said Vasco in a light tone of voice.

They were back in Kuoh. After the night of Akeno's inclusion in the relationship had gone by, the Gremory Peerage had prepared to leave on the following day. All it had taken after that had been a train ride.

It was a strangely interesting experience, thought Asia.

The entire ride, Koneko had sat in Issei's lap while he had petted her. Asia had been jealous of the Nekoshou, but at the same time, she had liked seeing it. The former nun had gotten to kiss the two, as well as Rias and Akeno, during the ride, so the jealousy had basically disappeared. They had not overdone it, though, so as not to make it awkward for the rest of the Peerage. Xenovia's look of longing that she had sent their way had excited Asia, however.

But now it was time to return to everyday life. After some debate, she and her… relationship partners had agreed to not hide the nature of their relationship. They would not advertise it either, but she had suspected from the beginning that the whole school would know as soon as they stepped onto the grounds. If anything, the rumour mill alone was guaranteed to spread a rumour that was close enough to the truth to make it a moot point. Asia could already tell that it would not be a return to the "same old" routine, even school was back in session.

Case in point, she was currently being accosted by some of her "friends." She knew well that their so-called friendship was rather thin. They were associates who were friendly with her, but after the series of betrayals that had ended with her becoming a member of Rias' Peerage, she had developed a sense of whom she could trust. And these girls, well-meaning as they were, had not earned that trust at all.

They demonstrated as much by bombarding her with their alleged concerns over her association with certain individuals.

"I knew Kiryuu was a bad influence. How could you actually give Hyoudou the time of day? I thought you and Gremory were just stringing him along!" said one of them.

"It's weird. Did he force you? Is he blackmailing you?"

"We'll get the pervert and teach him a lesson!"

"We should get Kiryuu while we're at it. I bet she helped him plan it all."

"Don't worry, Asia, we'll get you out of this."

"Yeah. You won't have to hang out with those horrible-"

Asia had had enough. She yelled: "Shut up!"

The room fell silent. No one had ever heard her raise her voice or respond in anger. The scowl on her face nearly made them recoil.

"Asia-"

"I said shut up!" interrupted the blonde. "You will not talk like that about them. Aika is my friend, and I love Ise."

"That useless pervert? How?!" asked one of the girls. "What has he done to sink his hooks into you?"

"He saved my life!" hissed Asia. "I'd be dead without him, or worse! He risked his life for me without expectation of getting anything in return! He was the first friend I ever had, and I owe him more than I could ever repay."

As soon as she had finished speaking, she knew she had said things she should not have mentioned, but these girls had provoked her into spilling the truth. Issei had indeed saved her life, more than once. Freed, she knew, would have raped and murdered her if Issei had not stopped him. Rias would not have reincarnated her if he had not risked everything to save her. At the absolute best, we should have ended up homeless and in the streets if she had never come across him. That did not mean, however, that she should have talked about it to these nobodies.

That's what they are, she realised.

Asia had begun her acquaintance with them because they had approached her with friendliness while she had been starved from friends. But now she realised that they were not actually her friends, and that their opinions mattered little.

"But-"

"We're finished here," she said and left the room.

She would apologise for her tone later, but not now. She was too upset to do so, and there were still about twenty minutes left before the lesson, so she could use that time to calm down. She knew that they did not mean anything bad by it, but she was tired of them treating her like she was incapable of making an informed decision regarding her love life.

"Do you need a moment to calm down?" asked a voice from her side.

Asia's head whipped around, and she spotted someone she was happy to call friend.

"Hello, Aika," she greeted. "I'm just… upset."

That got a raised eyebrow from the bespectacled girl. She asked: "What got you into that state? I didn't think anything could make you angry."

Asia sighed and answered: "The other girls were criticising my friendship with you and my relationship with Ise. I yelled at them."

"Wow," said Aika. "I didn't think you felt that strongly about it."

"Of course I do! You're my best friend," said Asia in protest. "I can't just not defend our friendship. And Ise… you know how I feel about him."

Aika chuckled. "That I do. You've got it bad. If you ever need any advice, I'll be happy to give it. It's the least I could do as your friend."

The blonde girl blushed. "I appreciate it. Your advice has worked so far. You were right about boys liking to watch girls kissing."

"No way!" said Aika with a gasp. An excited look came over her face as she asked: "Who was it?"

"I-it was Rias," answered Asia. "She's…"

Asia was a bit unsure whether she should have been sharing this, but Aika had earned her trust. She also knew that the brown-haired girl would likely approve.

So, Asia continued: "She's also together with Ise."

A gobsmacked look came over Aika. "Seriously? Wow. I didn't expect that. You two do know that he wants a harem, right?"

"We do," said Asia with a nod. "We're not the only ones in that relationship."

"Holy shit, girl," said Aika. Her mouth formed a grin. "You've got to tell me absolutely everything."

"I'll tell you as much as I can," muttered Asia, the blush still on her face.

Aika looked at her watch and grimaced. She said: "It'll have to wait until after class. I hear we're getting a new exchange student."

.

Later that day, Asia's mind still lingered on the conversation. She had shared a great deal, avoiding details involving the supernatural. That aside, Aika was now probably the most knowledgeable non-ORC student at the school when it came to this matter. She had a feeling that Aika's knowledge would soon be outdated, however.

There were more girls interested in Issei, she knew. Xenovia was the most obvious of them, but there was also Irina. The latter had not been a concern until today. The Church girl turned Angel had arrived at the school earlier that day as an "exchange" student. Asia was under no illusions that she would not somehow get involved with Ise.

It was not like she minded too much. She had had a rough start with both Irina and Xenovia, but if one had mellowed out fast, then the other would soon as well, she believer. If anything, Irina might get awfully friendly soon. Asia remembered the incident at the hot springs well, and if the protestant girl followed her ex-teammate's example, she was kind of looking forward to it.

Xenovia's proclivities were a more immediate concern, though. So immediate, in fact, that she was already amid one of the girl's ill-considered plots again.

"Xenovia, why did you drag Ise and me into this shed?" she asked.

Issei agreed with her question: "Yeah, I'd like to know t- Why are you taking your shirt off?!"

Xenovia barely paused before she lifted her shirt over her head and threw it to the side. She said: "It's the perfect opportunity to start intimate relations."

"That's the exact wrong time and place!" said Issei.

"And this is not how it works either," said Asia, "at least not in our relationship."

It indeed did not work like that immediately. There was more build-up involved, and such incidents usually took place in the bedroom.

Xenovia seemed genuinely confused by these statements. "It's not?" she asked in confusion. "But all my sources pointed to this."

"What kind of sources have you been consulting?!" yelled Issei.

The blue-haired girl did not waste a single breath before listing the names of the works she had apparently consulted: "There was 'Shed Adventures,' 'Breaking the Sister's Habit,' 'Plunging Deep,' …"

As Xenovia went on, Asia blushed bright red. She recognised those titles. There was also no way Issei did not recognise them.

He sputtered before shouting: "Are you serious?! You're trying to learn how relationships work from my porn collection?"

"I'm… not sure what the problem is. I thought those movies were fairly educational," said Xenovia.

They were educational, alright. Asia had watched them all. They got a lot of things wrong on the technical side, which Aika had been very quick about informing her, but that had not been the reason behind her exploration of the material. What the films were informing her about were Issei's preferences and tastes. Or at least, that had been her assumption until she'd seen the receipts stuck on the inside of the DVD boxes. Asia had been very flattered and very embarrassed to find out that Issei had only purchased nun-themed porn after he had met her. There were also suspicious similarities between the actresses of various movies in the collection and the girls that were part of Issei's harem. Asia had been left with the conclusion that her boyfriend adjusted his taste to his partners.

So, yes, the collection was somewhat educational, just not about the topic about which Xenovia had wanted information.

"The problem is that it's all staged," said Issei with a sigh. "Every scene is contrived, things happen way too fast, and the plot is just a vehicle to get to the action in the fastest possible way. This stuff is designed to get people off, not to give them advice!"

The former exorcist's face fell. "So I'm doing it wrong? Damn it, how do I do it right?"

"There is no clear-cut recipe," answered Asia quickly, "but I don't think that forcing these situations is going to work. You're very attractive, Xenovia, but a relationship is about more than your body."

Issei was a pervert, no doubt, but he sought emotional intimacy as much as physical. He was not the fuck-and-forget type, and Xenovia was doing herself a disservice by approaching him in that way. And that was before considering the fact that it wasn't just him. Others were involved as well, Asia being one of them.

"My advice is to spend more time with all of us. Don't rush it. We're not going anywhere, and you can afford to go slow. It's not like we're running out of spots in the harem," she finished explaining.

Xenovia frowned in thought. She muttered: "That might not be a bad idea."

Asia nodded, pleased. "In that case, you should probably put your shirt on again before-"

"What are you doing in here?" interrupted a voice.

Three heads turned to spot Irina. The girls had entered without them noticing. There was a blush on her face as she drank in the sight of Xenovia's nearly bare upper body.

"This place is way too dirty for that kind of stuff. Get out of here and do it in a bed!" she said.

Asia had a feeling that somehow, Irina was truly more concerned with the dirt than with Xenovia's state of undress.

What a strange Angel, she thought.

Naruto had met many strange people over the course of his life. Yet some of his acquaintances were stranger than even the standard of that descriptor. Case in point was his current interlocutor. The man was far too tall, had a constantly morphing face, and was far too fond of the colour gold. For all his strangeness, he was a valuable ally, though.

"… Given the situation, I wanted to ask you to send a neutral representative. It can't be all that hard to find one serving you. It's hard to be more neutral than some legally educated flunky from another universe," said Naruto.

"Ah, so you believe that the truth is the result you want to achieve and wish to enforce it? Indeed, if what you have told me is accurate, the vermin's crimes against humanity must be punished with utmost severity," said the Golden Man.

He was a rough individual; that much Naruto knew. He had mellowed out a lot since their first meeting, but there would never be any doubt that the man speaking with the Seventh Hokage had sent trillions to their deaths to achieve his well-intentioned ambitions.

Naruto had met him thousands of years ago. He had been to dozens of worlds already on his hunt for Jashin. He had finally found the malevolent god's home universe. What he had encountered had been appalling. Galaxy-scale wars, devastation, desolation, rampant genocides, slavery, and so much more. Fortunately, Naruto's point of arrival had put him on a planet that had recently overcome the worst of it. The blond Shinobi had still had to intervene, however, as he had landed in some sort of nursery where a woman was trying to throw a bunch of weird-looking cribs into some sort of void-rift. Naturally, he had stopped her, and the Golden Man had showed up a minute later.

They had struck up a friendship of sorts, after a few decades of attempted underhanded politicking. This series of events had involved attempted assassinations by the Golden Man's chief advisor, to which Naruto replied with a deluge of increasingly humiliating pranks that had exposed unacceptable weaknesses in the empire the Golden Man ruled. The continuation of these "games" had eventually reached the closest local power to the local planet, a red dust ball called Mars. Naruto's presence among its machine-obsessed denizens had led to a civil war among them. While this sounded bad on the surface, this war had ended up exposing an evil foreign god and its followers. The war had also resulted in the Golden Man's annexation of Mars. It had left him happy and ready to strike up a genuine friendship with Naruto.

The following centuries of war had seen the two fight at each other's side. Naruto had not been happy to support an authoritarian regime during a time of galactic conquest, but it had been necessary at the time. It was not like Naruto had something against monarchies – Konoha had been founded as a dictatorship following the orders of a monarch – but he had objected firmly to the idea of the wholesale slaughter of alien species. The objections had borne fruit, as Naruto's friendship and his usefulness had eventually convinced the Golden Man to downgrade his aggression from genocide to forced resettlement. The Imperium of Man had thus allowed the formation a smaller sibling state under Naruto's control. As of this day, the United Uzumaki Protectorates were still a safe haven for non-human species, as well as a staunch ally of humanity itself.

By the end of it, the Golden Man had mellowed out a tiny bit, a process that had advanced greatly ever since, and Naruto had continued his original quest to destroy Jashin. Over the centuries spent in this realm, Naruto had learned far more than he had ever hoped to about that individual. Jashin, or Khorne as the locals called him, had been one of the four cancers upon the psychosphere of this galaxy that had made the atrocities Naruto had seen on his stint in this universe an inevitability. For all the build-up to the final confrontation, however, Jashin and his associates had gone out with a whimper.

As it turned out, the Truth Seeking Orbs, which were capable of damaging and destroying souls, were just as good at exterminating beings made of corrupted soul-matter.

What a bunch of losers they ended up being, reminisced Naruto before he focussed back on the conversation with the Golden Man.

"Pretty much that, yeah. I have the guy set up for failure, but I need a 'third party' to help bury him as deep as it gets. I know you don't care about the politics of any realm that doesn't come across your path, but I have to make sure things turn out like I want. Plus, the guy's a total asshat anyway. He deserves the harshest punishments your lawyers can get him," confirmed Naruto. "Your people are the only ones capable of absorbing all the necessary legal information in just a few days anyway."

The Golden Man hummed as he contemplated what Naruto had said.

He said: "Very well. I shall lend my aid, to settle rest of the debt between us if nothing else. I shall immediately send for an Archmagos Litigant. Whatever the courtroom has in store, they will conquer it."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," said Naruto. "That was everything from my side. Was there any point you wanted to raise?"

"Not in particular. Your Xenos state has been well-behaved since your last visit to my palace. It appears that they can indeed be governed if one is so motivated," answered the Golden Man.

"Neat. In that case, I'll drop by a few planets and see that they stay well-behaved. Gotta see if there's any government corruption I should stamp out while I'm at it. See you soon, Golden Man," said Naruto.

"Hopefully not too soon, and please use my title," answered the man in the golden armour.

"Only if you tell me your name," said Naruto.

"Some secrets are best kept secret," replied his interlocutor.

Naruto snorted. I bet he just forgot and is too embarrassed to admit it.

"Sure thing, Golden Man," he joked.

A tired sigh escaped the Golden Man as he said: "Just leave, you irritant. The Archmagos Litigant will be ready at the spaceport within the hour."

"Ha! You know you love me," teased Naruto.

"Why must you be so irritating whenever you return here?" lamented the Golden Man.

Irina's return to Kuoh was not how she had imagined it would be going. To be honest, she had held little in terms of expectations, but it was jarring. She had no local friends anymore, for one. Sure, there was Issei, but he was not the same boy she had once known. He still had the same admirable traits, though, even if he had acquired… others. Alas, he was no longer as attached to her as he used to be. The boy aside, any other friends Irina used to have had long since moved on, and, if she was being fair, she could not even remember most of them. The whole situation thus left Irina friendless and somewhat lonely.

She was not even sure if Xenovia was still her friend. Their parting had been very awkward. Still, she hoped any potential rift could be mended eventually.

Fortunately for Irina, the acute lack of friends could be remedied quite easily. She only had to make contact and develop new friendships.

While it was easier to say it than to do it, she felt she was off to a good start. There were plenty of people at Kuoh Academy who were familiar with the supernatural side of the world. Almost all of them were Devils, sure, but they were friendly people. She only had to connect with some of them.

The beginning of that connection was imminent. She was headed for the ORC building for an official meeting with the club members. She had already intercepted one.

"I heard you've had an interesting day," said the white-haired girl she had approached.

Last time Irina had seen her, she had been short and petite. There had been a somewhat cold expression permanently etched onto her face too. She had seemed implacable, though polite and approachable. She had been the cute and adorable Koneko.

Now, however, the Devil girl was as tall as Irina herself, and also curvier. In the less than two months she had not seen her, Koneko had turned from an adorable mascot into a bombshell. It was hard for Irina to tell, but it also looked like she was happier than she used to be. It was a very big change; one which she was curious about.

"You could say that," said Irina.

"From what Ise told me, you might have gotten the wrong impression," continued Koneko.

A light blush came over Irina. It had been an embarrassing situation. What had Xenovia been thinking? Stuff like that was meant for the bedroom!

"Does… that happen often?" she asked.

Koneko shrugged and answered: "It depends. Things do get lewd, but only in private. And in our relationship. It's Rias, Ise, Asia, Akeno, and me. What you saw was just Xenovia not knowing how to approach us and trying the first thing she was able to think of."

Irina grimaced. "That does sound like her. She's always reckless."

"… Do you miss her?" asked Koneko.

Irina nodded. "I do. We've been partners and friends for years. Being separated like that was not easy for me. And trying to fit in here… It's another big change for me."

"I see," responded the Nekoshou. "How are you dealing with it?"

"Not as well as I'd hoped," admitted Irina. "Honestly, I'm a bit lost."

"You're still going to be part of the ORC, are you not?" asked Koneko.

Irina nodded and said: "Yes, but I will be the only Angel, while you are Devils. Our activities won't be very similar."

The white-haired girl shook her head and replied: "There will still be plenty of time for us to bond. And…"

"And?" asked Irina.

Koneko answered: "I don't want to make a habit of tattling, but I'll tell you a secret: Ise has missed you a great deal, even if he doesn't know it himself."

Irina was both happy and perplexed to hear this. She liked the boy, and she really wanted to rekindle their old friendship. Yet she was confused about the latter half of Koneko's statement.

"Why wouldn't he?" she asked.

"He's kind of blind when it comes to his own feelings," answered Koneko bluntly. "When I delve deep enough into Senjutsu when I'm near him, I can feel certain things; his feelings, his emotional state…, his emotional scars. One of the latter has been agitated since this morning, when you showed up in his class. But, as usual, the doofus hasn't noticed anything."

Irina could not help but feel a stab of jealousy, though it lacked any real bite. "That must really be handy," she said.

Koneko grunted and put things into perspective: "Not really. It can be very distracting, and the ability to go in-depth is still new. Interpreting everything correctly is also very difficult. It was the cause of a lot of stress when I first stated sensing emotions."

The reincarnated Angel grimaced as she considered this. If she had been in Koneko's position, it would not have ended well. She was still new to being an Angel, and she supposed that being able to sense everyone's emotions would increase the risk of Falling. The power suddenly did not seem such a godsend as she had initially considered it to be.

"That makes sense when looking at it that way, I have to admit. Maybe we can talk more about this after the club meeting," she said in response.

"Not today. Asia asked me to talk with her afterwards. We can pick it up again later, though," said Koneko. After seeing Irina nod, she continued: "… What is the meeting about anyway? You should know, right?"

"Well," began Irina, "I'll talk I more detail during the meeting, but I've been sent here by Lord Michael as his representative. Consider me Heaven's contribution to the local effort of fighting the Khaos Brigade."

Koneko seemed to perk up at these words. She said: "That's interesting. And welcome. We really do have to talk with each other again at a later date."

"You don't have to rush," replied Irina. "The most important bits will come up during the meeting. You can talk with Asia as much as you want afterwards."

The meeting had ended up being revelatory. Irina had apparently been made an Angel using the technology of the Evil Pieces modified by Heaven's scientists. Then came the reveal that Azazel had collaborated with Sirzechs and Serafall to create a TV series of all things revolving around Issei the "Oppai Dragon." The title alone made Koneko want to bash her own face in. Fortunately, the last piece of news had preserved her sanity. The date for Diodora Astaroth's trial had apparently been set, and Asia was being called to stand was witness.

It was one more thing to discuss with the former nun. Asia was so out of it that she had all but dragged Koneko to the Hyoudou household and into her room. While neither she nor Asia would sleep in these rooms any longer, they were convenient for storage and (somewhat) private conversations.

"Asia," said Koneko.

The blonde girl was still holding Koneko's arm in a vice grip. That meant that drastic measures had to be taken.

Koneko's free hand shot up, grabbing Asia's hair. Then she pulled. Hard. Asia gasped, and Koneko shivered.

… Shit, I think I've developed a fetish, she cursed internally. I really am becoming a pervert.

She cleared her mind and returned to the problem at hand. "Asia. Talk."

The blonde blushed in obvious embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Koneko. Diodora is a sore topic…"

"I can see that," said Koneko with a deadpan tone of voice. "But don't let it control you. We're here, and we won't let anything happen to you."

A bright smile spread across Asia's face as she heard this. She brought her face closer to Koneko's and gave her a small peck on the lips. She retreated again.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," she said.

Koneko smiled back at her. She had quickly grown used to kissing and being kissed by the other girls of the harem. It never failed to be enjoyable.

Now was not the time to drift off, however. Going back to the topic of conversation, she asked: "Will you be alright, standing witness and all?"

Asia took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I think so. Everyone's showing me their support. I can do it."

"I'm glad to hear that," responded Koneko.

Asia smiled at her again. "And I am grateful to have you and the others in my life. It has made everything more enjoyable."

"It is a good life we share with each other," said Koneko in agreement.

It really was. There had not been much to enjoy before joining Rias' Peerage in either of their lives. Things had gotten more perilous recently, but also more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Not that it's going to stay dangerous for too long if I've got anything to say about this, she thought to herself.

"That it is," said Asia. "But now that you've talked about sharing, there is something I've wanted to talk to you about…"

"Is that why you asked to speak with me in private?" asked the Nekoshou.

"Yes," admitted Asia. "It's… uhm…"

Koneko frowned. Her expanded passive senses told her that Asia was feeling some trepidation, but not what its source or nature were.

So, she began: "If it's too difficult to talk about-"

The blonde girl interrupted her: "No, it's not like that. It's just… embarrassing."

"I won't make fun of you. You should know me better than that by now," said Koneko with a tone of light reproach.

Asia was quick to respond: "I do know! It's embarrassing regardless."

Koneko sighed. "Just say it. It can't be that bad."

"Alright," said Asia in defeat. "It's about something that you said when we were in the Gremory family's hot springs… when Xenovia grabbed my breasts…"

Koneko remembered that. Watching Akeno and Xenovia grope Rias and Asia respectively had been embarrassing and torturously enticing at the same time. It had driven her to distraction. She did remember the conversation with sufficient clarity, however.

"What about it?" she asked.

Asia blushed red as she continued: "You mentioned that Senjutsu could help my b-breasts grow."

The slight stammer at the end and her red face made her look extraordinarily cute, Koneko thought. It made her want to tease the former nun some more, but she thought it better not to. It had taken Asia some courage to bring this up, and Koneko was not about to break her promise about not laughing at her girlfriend.

Or is it harem sister? I should call her that in front of the others and see what they think, she thought idly.

She then responded to Asia: "I did, and it can do that. Senjutsu can manipulate life and stimulate growth. The downside is that something as delicate as that needs prolonged skin contact."

"I see…," said Asia. "That doesn't seem like much of a downside."

Koneko explained: "Well, it takes time, and not everyone is comfortable with- what are you doing?"

As soon as Koneko had started speaking, Asia had undone the ribbon around her shirt collar and had begun opening up the school uniform's corset. It looked like she was undressing.

"I'm getting ready," she answered. "You said you need skin contact. Besides, you've touched my breasts before. I liked it a lot."

"Okay," said Koneko in acceptance, "but you should know that this isn't necessary. Ise may be obsessed with tits, but he'd never even consider abandoning you just because yours aren't massive."

The blonde had in the meantime discarded her shirt. She paused again to respond: "I know. Still, I want bigger breasts. It's not like he hasn't changed his appearance for our sakes either."

Asia had a point there. At the beginning of the year, Issei had not been much of a looker. He had been plain and his figure had been average. Over time, his face had become more defined and his musculature more pronounced. He was handsome now.

"I guess that's true," said Koneko.

She herself had also come to like her own growth up top. Despite the growing pains and the new centre of balance, there were advantages that showed themselves, most often at night. Plus, Devil physiology made back pain a non-factor in that department. It could be said that Koneko was quite happy with her still-growing chest.

"I also like playing with Rias', Akeno's and your breasts, so I thought you'd enjoy it if mine were bigger too," added Asia with a slight blush.

"You're not wrong," said Koneko before her thoughts could catch up with her. When they did, she felt herself blush as much as Asia. Seeing as the truth was out anyway, she doubled down: "Big breasts feel good to touch."

Resigning herself to start the process, Koneko imitated Asia and disrobed. The conversation did not resume until they were both completely undressed.

"So… uhm, how are we doing this?" asked Asia.

Koneko could sense the blonde's nervousness but also her anticipation. It appeared that the former nun was looking forward to the experience. To be honest, Koneko felt the same.

Well, if we're doing this, we might as well do it right, she thought. A predatory look entered her eyes as she licked her lips. Yes, let's do it right.

"Get on the bed and lie down on your back," she ordered

Asia blinked. Then she went beet red. "O-okay," she stammered.

Doing as she had been told, the [Bishop] climbed on Koneko's bed and laid down. Koneko followed her on the bed. She did not stop moving, however. The Nekoshou crawled forward on her hands and knees until her body was right above Asia's. The former nun was at her complete mercy now.

Koneko was not thinking all that rationally at the moment. The fact that she still had an abnormally high concentration of sexual hormones in her blood spelled bad news for well-considered action. She was aroused and had a naked girl she was attracted to beneath her. All this combined made her next words what they were.

"Let's turn those cute breasts into a pair of big tits," she said

Asia reacted with startled embarrassment. "Wha-"

The blonde nun's words were cut off as Koneko's hands flashed to her chest. The Nekoshou's fingers dug into the soft flesh of Asia's breasts, earning a low moan in response.

"The treatment starts now," said Koneko in a voice laden with lust.

Her tail and cat ears emerged from her body as she started using Senjutsu. Her grip on Asia's breasts tightened, and she began manipulating the life energy in the blonde's body.

"This feels…," began Asia.

"No talking," interrupted Koneko.

She lowered her head and kissed the other girl on the lips. From there on, it was just gasps and moans.

.

The session ended up lasting an entire hour. By the end of it, Koneko was too exhausted to be impacted by her arousal, and she cringed at the memory of how she had acted.

I'm not this crude normally. I hope Asia isn't offended, she despaired.

In contrast to her own condition, the former nun looked like the picture of relaxation. Sure, she was red-faced and breathing hard, but there was no sign of agitation from her and not a single tensed muscle. Every part of her looked pristine.

"That was amazing," she said. "I wish the others had been here."

Koneko blinked at those words. She asked: "Are you an exhibitionist or something."

"No, no, no!" protested Asia, shaking her head emphatically. "I just want to share these moments with everyone in our relationship. It only makes sense. We're all together, after all."

"Ah, so you're more the sharing type," said Koneko in recognition.

She had no objection to that in principle. Asia was right in that they were all together. The problem Koneko could foresee was the competitive rivalry between Rias and Akeno. That had the potential to completely derail any… "involved" session like the one she and Asia had just had. But if that problem failed to manifest, then she was all for it.

"Thank you regardless," said Asia. "It felt good, and I believe it will work."

"You're welcome," responded Koneko. "I enjoyed it too."

There was a short pause during which neither of them said anything. Asia broke it soon, however.

"I feel much lighter now," she said. "My worries are practically gone."

"Really?" asked Koneko in surprise.

Senjutsu confirmed it. Asia was free of worry; free of any negative emotion, now that she looked. That was remarkable.

Asia hummed and said: "Yes. With you and the others at my side, I don't need to worry about anything. Thank you again for reassuring me."

That girl is too precious for this world, was all Koneko could think of at that.

AN: Greetings, my dear readers! Welcome back to a new chapter and a new year! Also, Merry Christmas to whatever Christian Orthodox readership I may have. Consider this chapter your gift from me. That said, DxD canon mentions that Santa is real. Maybe he's at work here.

I have received quite a few reviews concerning the Mark of Noah. Rest assured, its mystery is almost resolved with this chapter. You'll see it and Vasco Strada again at a later date.

Novel readers will have noticed that I messed a bit with the timing around Xenovia's part. To that, I have to say that the harem develops faster than in canon, and Xenovia has decided to move faster as a result.

The big elephant in the room for Volume 6 of the novel and the corresponding point within my story is Irina. She, like Asia and Ravel, deserves a bit more screen time in my opinion. I will endeavour my best to give that to her. Her reintroduction in this story was a bit rushed, but I intend to develop her a lot more.

Volume 6/the Diodora arc being primarily Asia's arc, I gave her special attention on her this chapter. She, too, shall be developed! Aika might profit from this as a side effect.

Speaking of development, I received the occasional message/review regarding Naruto's past in other worlds (though a lot fewer than I'd thought). I intentionally won't dive too deep into his past exploration of other universes because I want to avoid the pitfalls of many multi-crossover stories; namely that readers must be familiar with all involved source material. This is why I will keep it to cameo appearances of other universes. In this arc, that involved an Archmagos Litigant of an alternate continuity of Warhammer 40'000. For those familiar with that setting, the punishment an Archmagos can mete out when execution isn't an option is quite clear. I almost pity Diodora…

Next chapter will be a first for this story. As some have asked me, and as quite a few expect of a DxD story, I plan on writing the occasional lemon. That said, site policy here prohibits such scenes. That is why I have started the process of making an AO3 account. The prognosis I received said I would get the invite for the account activation roughly on the 19th, so well before the next chapter is due. Unless time constraints force me to proceed otherwise, the AO3 copy of this story will receive a spicy addition to the usual full-length chapter.

That is it for now. Thank you all for your feedback, your follows and favourites, your reviews and PMs. Don't hesitate to write in case you have questions or wish to point out consistency errors.

All that said, I now bid you farewell. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!