GOD DAMN! THIS TOOK TOO LONG TO GET OUT! BUT THE NEXT BATCH IS HERE!

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SMUT AHEAD! This chapter is starting strong, so be advised, and as always, skip until you see this kinda message again if you so wish.

True to her word, Monica grabbed Jaune by the neck, choking the boy and pushing him against the door. Despite being taller, Monica was stronger. Demonically stronger. Sure, he had been training with Judgement and Ignium, but Monica was another beast altogether! Or, well, so long as he allowed her to do this, but he didn't want to hurt her! Or worse: Give her a reason to hurt him!

Why'd she want him to scream at her anyway?! If anything, that sounded more like something Zdrada would enjoy. Or wait, no. That wasn't right. Being a sadist or masochist has nothing to do with being a submissive or dominant person. It's just that they commonly pair with one or the other. Sadists are usually dominant, and masochists are submissive, but what if Jaune was reading it backward in Monica's case?

What if she wasn't all she painted herself to be? Considering he was starting to feel dizzy, he had only one way to find out.

"Stop!" he shouted, or at least tried, but she just tightened her grasp on his neck.

"Weak." She scoffed.

Weak? So that's how it is. Flaring his aura, Jaune gritted his teeth, then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled it away.

"I said … STOP!" He shouted with all of his might at her. "What the fuck is wrong with you, trying to choke me to scream at you?! Well, NOW I AM SCREAMING AT YOU, so what are you going to DO?!"

Pandemonica seemed surprised that Jaune could actually raise his voice again at her, and as he let go of her hand, she rubbed her wrist and took a step back. "I wanted you to-"

"WHAT?!" Jaune continued, not wanting to ease up now. Pandemonica was just waiting for him to soften up again to grab her chance. She was like an animal, waiting for her opportunity to pounce at the first sign of weakness. "You wanted me to what?! Answer me!"

"I … " She tried to speak, yet Jaune noticed a few … Interesting details. Her breathing was picking up, and she looked somewhat flustered. "I wanted to know … "

"KNOW WHAT?" He demanded.

"When you shouted at me, I … I liked it. I liked it a lot." She continued, not breaking eye contact.

"And now? I love this." She smiled from ear to ear, making him flinch slightly. "Scream at me more! Please!"

"Scream at you, I-"

Wait. Jaune began to think about something. Pandemonica was likely never yelled at before, meaning that when he did it, it was the first time someone took a more powerful tone with her. The first time that someone really imposed themselves as superior to her, and not just from a business point of view as she was likely accustomed to with Lucifer.

Curiosity gnawed at his mind, however. This type of woman, he had heard of them before! They act strong, independent, and so on. But when a man takes charge - that is what they want! Due to being in control their entire life, they find being the ones controlled arousing. Jaune knew he had to push this to make sure Pandemonica was not left with the impression that he was weak.

Never again would he let someone call him weak.

"Know what? I don't think screaming is needed." He added with a sly smirk, which caught Pandemonica off-guard.

"W-what?" She stuttered. Holy shit, she actually stuttered. "But I-"

"I wasn't finished." He cut her off, making sure to keep a commanding tone at least. That seemed to do the trick as she went silent. "Monica … How many times have you broken my fingers since arriving here?"

"F-five?" During the early days, when he was still practicing his coffee-making skills. His aura and Azazel's healing were the only things that kept him able to still train with Judgement after Monica delivered her punishment to him.

"Five times you have broken my fingers due to not making your coffee correctly?" Jaune nodded. "Sounds about right. Now, listen here, Monica, because you will do exactly as I say. No questions asked."

"Wait, this isn't what I asked for-"

"Don't argue with me, you bitch!" Jaune replied harshly, which actually shocked Monica to her core. Her stunned expression told him everything he needed to know, and if he didn't have an aura, he'd shit himself, believing she might just kill him for making her a bitch right now. "Do as I say. For each finger you broke, take off an article of clothing."

"What?" Monica's tone took a dangerous shift. Jaune had to suppress the chill that ran down his spine at the sound of it. "I am not Modeus, Jaune. I am not going to strip just because you tell me to."

She wasn't exactly wearing five articles of clothing. She was in her night clothing, which consisted of actual black pajamas with pentagrams on them. Assuming she wore underwear, that'd make four articles of clothing. Well, unless you counted her glasses, then he'd be on point.

"I am not telling you, Monica." Jaune was going all in. Time to gamble! "I am ordering you."

The demoness's eyes widened as he finished his sentence, and Jaune honestly believed he might have to explain to his family why he had an entire broken arm … or spine, tomorrow at breakfast. But then she replied.

"You are … ordering me?" She asked slowly.

"I am." He kept a strong tone of voice. "I am tired, and this day was long. I don't have the energy to deal with you, but you came in here regardless. Tried to choke me, demanding I scream at you! Well, guess what, Monica? You do not want me to scream at you, do you? You want someone to tell you what to do. You want someone else to take charge, and I am that someone right now. So unless you want to walk out of here with only disappointments, I suggest you obey me right here and now! Take. Off. Your. Clothes."

Monica remained silent for a bit, but then she gulped. "Y-yes."

Jaune's eyes went wide with surprise as she began to do just as he ordered her. She began to strip right before him. Her top went first, unveiling the black, lacey bra she wore underneath, and then her pants went down, revealing matching panties. Jaune gulped as she kept going, unclasping her bra and letting her breasts hang freely in the air.

But he could not help but notice a striking detail. Her nipples were erect. She was aroused. And if that wasn't a good enough sign, the moment she took off her panties, Jaune could clearly see the thin strand of liquid and the damp spot on them. He gulped, understanding what he had done. Pandemonica discovered a new kink. And he just fed it … a lot.

Then, as she threw them away, there she stood in all her naked glory. She was smoothly shaved down at her lower lips, and despite not being as large as Modeus in the bust department, nor as buff as Judgement or Justice, she still maintained a perky and somewhat toned body. "Is … Is my body to your liking, Jaune?"

"Y-yeah. Very much so, Monica." He answered, trying to keep his mind clear … And his pants loose. "I hope you know your place now. Don't ever do this kind of thing again; otherwise, next time, I won't let you off with only a strip."

"Y-yes, Sir." She replied, actually showing respect to him. Granted, Jaune noticed the drop of liquid going down her leg. She was getting off on this THAT much?! "C-can I get dressed?"

"Is everyone asleep? Is my family asleep?" Jaune asked strongly.

"Yes. I made sure to check on them before coming here, and I do not sense anyone's presence having moved from their respective rooms." She replied.

"Then do not get dressed. Pick up your clothes, and walk as you are right now to your room." He ordered her. "I want to get some sleep tonight."

"Yes, Sir." She complied with her orders, picked up her clothing from the floor, and moved to the exit, being butt-naked the whole time. She unlocked, opened, and then vanished through the door swiftly, leaving Jaune alone in his room, sitting on his bed, to process what had just happened.

And he had only a few words to say about it.

"Fuck, I thought Modeus was something … Monica is … Fuck, she is submissive!"

At the same time, in her room, Monica was moaning and grunting. Her clothing was still on the floor, having thrown it there as soon as she got in and locked the door. She couldn't help herself anymore. She had to rub one out.

"Jaune … " She whispered his name through her grunts, and then, with one final stroke, she felt her body tense up, her legs clasping shut as she felt her orgasm ripple through her. She lay down on her bed, breathing heavily as she watched the ceiling.

"That was … What was that?" She asked herself. "Fuck … I'm just as bad as Zdrada and Mo."

Slowly, she got up and reached for her clothes. No way she was going to sleep naked! However, the moment she picked up her underwear, she couldn't help but notice the damp spot on her panties.

She was unable to contain her smirk. Jaune drew this out of her. Made her discover something new. And she loved it. Her pussy could attest to the fact she enjoyed every second. BDSM was something, but being the one receiving orders… Told to strip and obey someone else's commands. It was different from the orders given to her by Lucifer.

She wanted more. But she knew she couldn't get more. Not yet.

Lucifer had her plan. She wanted to wait for the right moment to claim him, opening the gates for all of them.

"Hurry up, Lucifer … " Pandemonica whispered. "Otherwise, I might just beg him to order me to bend down for him."

SMUT END. A safe journey from here, boys. Kinda.

Jaune set down a plate of pancakes and left the kitchen. After what had happened last night, he had been half expecting Malina to be in his room wearing a maid's outfit, saying she had made him breakfast and wanted to snuggle. Or some other madness.

Luckily, he had awakened to normality, or as normal as things got in this house. With Lucy's and Beel's breakfast finished and the others cooking, Jaune stepped out to wake his family. Going up the stairs, he passed a few sleepy demons going down. With a knock, he entered his younger sister's room. It was an arduous task, but with the promise of food, his younger sisters were up and moving down the hall.

"Good morning." Juliet smiled at her children. "I see you already got them up. Thank you, Jaune."

"I hope you have a coffee machine," Coral grumbled from beside her mother. "And why do the shrimps get to eat in their pajamas and I don't?"

"Are you going to spend the next 30 minutes convincing them to get dressed?" Jaune challenged. "Come on. Everything is ready downstairs."

They hadn't gotten halfway down before the calm of the morning was shattered.

"You mutts!" Lucifer shouted from the kitchen. "Did you eat my pancakes?!"

"No?" The trio answered together.

Jaune immediately went to the kitchen to check the situation out of habit - living with them for so long had helped develop a few such habits - and everyone else followed. The chocolate stains on Cerberus's three faces let everyone know what happened. Sighing, Jaune went to Cerberus and scolded her for stealing Lucifer's pancakes.

The younger Arcs giggled at the sight as Cerberus tried and failed to lick the evidence away. Coral ignored them as she spotted the coffee machine. Like a moth to a flame, she moved to the device. It was one of the fancy models, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. With a few quick motions, a mug was prepared, and it was on. She could only wait as the machine did its holy work. Once done, she carefully brought it to her lips.

"Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee." Coral chanted as the divine taste hit her.

"Mmmm, yes, I agree." Monica hummed from beside her.

Coral eyed the shorter woman and her mug with a depiction of demons wielding pitchforks. Was her coffee made for her before she got up? It was too early to question it, so she rolled with it. The two ended up sitting at the table with each other, but on her other side was another.

"Um, Azazel, right?" Coral asked.

"Yes, it is." She smiled brightly. "Good morning to you, Coral."

"Yeah, morning."

Before more could be said, Jaune placed more pancakes in front of Lucy and put a plate down for Azazel.

"Thank you, Jaune." Azazel smiled at him before clasping her hands together. "Bless me, thank you for the food and drink."

Coral raised an eyebrow. "Did … did you just pray?"

"Oh yes. However, it is an incredibly abridged version. Others in the house aren't a fan of them, so I try to be as accommodating as possible." Azazel made a point not to mention the G word or include any of the other girls in her prayers. Her eyes roamed the room, making sure no demon was uncomfortable. Once she saw no reactions, she looked back at Coral. "Does it bother you? I can stop."

"Meh, I've never seen it in person before. It's fine."

"Oh really? Would you be interested in hearing about the Lord and Jesus Christ?" Azazel's eyes shined with hope.

"I mean … if a little bit, then sure." Coral shrugged. It would still be a better conversation than talking about goats. "But odds are I'm not going to believe it. I doubt I'd believe any religion … maybe one that worshiped coffee."

"I'll become religious for that." Monica raised her mug.

Coral didn't know what to make of the sadistic smile on her face but clinked her mug against the other one regardless. "I'll drink to that."

Azazel pouted a little at the interest in worshiping something addictive rather than God, but she wouldn't push things, as that never ended well.

After getting everyone food, Jaune was able to sit down at the table, too. Everyone seemed to be doing fine. His younger sisters were talking to their mother and Cerberus here and there.

Meanwhile, Modeus was … Was she glaring at Monica? He didn't know what that was about, but he hoped they weren't going to start having problems with each other.

He had no idea what was going to happen after breakfast.

Modeus wasn't a happy demon. Her plans kept being derailed. It started with Christmas. Jaune was supposed not to be able to resist her naked and wet body, but Lucifer had gotten to him first. That little stunt she pulled with the mistletoe was genius. Modeus had quickly made plans to use the same trick later that day. But then Mr. Colt had to show up and throw the day off course.

Sure, she had gotten to give Jaune a blowjob which felt amazing, but that was it. Worse, he had told her she couldn't walk around the house naked if she wanted more. That was annoying, but it became enraging when she picked up Monica's thoughts this morning.

"He tells me I can't walk around naked, then he ORDERS her to walk around naked? What is this BULLSHIT!" Modeus's mind replayed the images she got from Monica. "His family was even in the house. Why can't I do it when they aren't? Why hasn't he ever ordered me around?"

The last part made her sad. Sure, ordering Jaune to do things sounded like fun, too, but she didn't want to be left out of being commanded, either. She wouldn't mind him using the whip he got for Christmas on her. Perhaps it didn't make sense considering she was the first to touch his dick, but she felt like she was falling behind.

Modeus didn't have a plan, as the last one hadn't worked out. So, she was just going to have to wing it. But she needed to do something …

Something truly depraved.

Jaune dried his hands as he finished dealing with the dishes. Walking out of the kitchen, he looked into the living room. Azazel was holding a bible while she talked animatedly to Coral and Juliet. The three of them were sitting around a coffee table.

Baphomet was on the couch with his younger sisters, who were all dressed now. She was showing them cute pictures of goats. They seemed to like baby animals no matter what they were, so they enjoyed themselves well enough.

Everyone else would be doing their own thing through the house. He probably didn't need to check up on them as-

"Jaune?" Modeus's voice was a whisper yet somehow traveled to him from up the stairs. A shiver of anticipation ran up his spine. "Could you come here for a moment?"

He had a feeling that doing as he was told was going to end badly, but he didn't want whatever was going to happen to be seen or heard by his family. Moving away from the doorway to the living room, he walked up the stairs. Modeus walked down, meeting him halfway on the landing, where the stairs split two ways.

"Y-yes, Modeus?" His throat was suddenly dry. Nothing was going to happen right now; he would make sure of that with his family here, but she had a way of making him wish something would happen.

"You know, Jaune, we've been living together for a while now." Modeus glanced away nervously for a moment and gripped one arm with the other, coincidently pushing her breasts up. "I think it's time we took the next step in our relationship."

"Please, no." Jaune stared at her in shock. "I don't want to have sex with my family in the house. That is too risky! It was hard enough getting Monica to leave my room last night!"

"That's right, Jaune. It's time." Modeus understood his surprise. This was bold, even for her. She stepped closer, eyes filled with desire. "We're going to hold hands."

Say what now?

"Oh … " Jaune needed to take a moment to process what she said. Considering all the other ways this could have gone, this was probably the best outcome. It would mean it was going to be harder to keep her under control in the future, but he was more concerned about the present. "Well … if you think you are ready, I'm ok to do that."

"So willing." She blushed. All she had to do was ask? This could have happened when they first met. She wasn't ready back then! But she was now, or at least she hoped. "Well then? Take my hand."

Jaune decided to ignore her suggestive tone. He reached out and took her offered hand. They grasped each other. They held hands.

For 5 seconds.

"Oh my gosh!" Modeus gasped as she pulled away. She placed a hand over her heart as she breathed heavily. "I didn't expect it to be so intense."

Jaune blinked. Admittedly, her hands were soft and warm. It felt like silk was squeezing him, but it wasn't earth-shattering. "Ok … So it's over now? That was it."

"That was it?" Modeus was affronted. "How long were you expecting it to last? I think my heart is going to explode. I couldn't do that for much longer. You should be grateful for what you managed to get! You're the … the first … I've ever … with someone."

Jaune blushed at how over the top she was about this. Modeus saw this but took it in a different way.

"Oh, right. Sorry." She looked away. "I guess it would make sense for you to be in shock for a bit. Everyone deals with new situations differently. Don't worry; we'll work through this together."

"Right, thanks, Modeus, um … that means a lot." He tried to move things along. "Let's just get back to … other things. Ok?"

"Sure. Don't be a stranger, Jaune." Modeus turned away, and as she rose the stairs, it gave him the perfect view of her ass as she swayed her hips. Jaune sighed as she went back to her room. The day had only just started. What was the rest going to be like?

Jade was having fun! She had gotten to see her brother again, and that was great. She had been so nervous on the way, but looking back on it, traveling to him had been like an adventure! They got to go on a boat ride and go to a different kingdom. After finding Jaune, it turned out he had a big house. Those who lived with him were people she liked more and more.

"And now I shuffle them." Justice moved her hands in intricate ways. Playing cards flew through the air. Jade was entranced by the display, along with Lapis and Silva. They could make out shapes as the cards moved. A circle, a square, a heart, a bicycle, a train engine, and many others. Justice stopped and covered the deck of cards with one hand over the other. "Now, do you know where the cards you picked are? Because I do."

Silva just shook her head while Lapis stared at the cards intently.

"How could you know?" Jade decided to play along. "I don't believe you."

"Why, it's not that hard." Justice smiled as she fanned the cards out in her hands. "If you hide a card from me behind your ear, then where else would it be?"

The three Arcs blinked at that. Surely, it was a joke. Yet, curiosity demanded they know, so after a second, they all reached for their heads. Their eyes widened when they felt something behind their ears. Pulling it in front of them, their mouths fell open as they saw it was their card. Jade had been expecting a semblance but still didn't understand what had happened.

"But I didn't feel it." Lapis frowned. "And you didn't reach your hand out of sight to pull it out of your sleeve."

"This is my card." Silva was amazed. "How can you tell any of them apart? You can't see."

"S-Silva, you-you … can't." Jade panicked as she looked at Justice. "I-I'm sorry, that was rude. She di-"

"Oh, it's fine." Justice ruffled Jade's hair, who fought the urge to swat the hand away. "It's an innocent question. She didn't mean anything by it. You're right. I can't see, but I've got an eye for detail."

Justice pulled her shades down and winked at them. Jade looked into her dull eyes and couldn't help but think they seemed sad. Maybe she could do something to cheer her up. But she already seemed happy.

Lapis pouted. "But that's not fair, you're nice. And if you can't see, then you can't know how pretty you are."

"Oh, you little charmer." Justice laughed and ignored the denial of being little. "Why do I need to see when I get compliments like that? Just because I can't see how handsome Jaune is or how cute you all are doesn't mean I don't know it to be true."

"How did you get blinded?" Silva fumbled the word as she asked. Jade facepalmed at the question.

"Oh, it was an epic battle for sure." Justice smiled and spread her arms out wide. "It's a story with a dragon princess, a monstrous fly tamer, a slick detective, an army of sleepy skeletons, and a drunk moose who could see the future. Do you want to hear it?"

"YES!" Lapis and Silva cheered at the same time while Jade just nodded her head.

"Well, I'm not one to brag, but I'm far above others my age." Coral smiled as she held up her weapon. "This bad boy right here is Thunder Bringer. A foldable spear powered by lightning dust! This bad boy can zap the life outta anyone! I also have good endurance in a fight. So what do you have?"

Judgement inspected the equipment in front of her. For what the humans could make, it was of high quality, but from what Hell or Heaven could make, it was laughable. She probably shouldn't talk about that, though. "Gauntlets are what I prefer, but I know how to use a few other weapons."

She lifted her arms to show off the mech-a-shift weapons she had gotten for Christmas. She hadn't had a chance to try them out yet, but it was going to be fun to learn the differences between using them. She would probably test Jaune's swordsmanship skills by using them on him. But that would be after his little holiday break.

"Ummm, a gauntlet combination with … "

"Apparently, the tonfas can turn into something akin to miniature cannons to deliver strong volleys of Dust. I talked with Jaune about it earlier, and he explained a bit more to me." Judgement added.

"Not bad, not bad." Coral hummed. "It is good … at least, you know, for something that isn't a weapon."

Judgement blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, gauntlets. They aren't real weapons." Coral nodded. "Yeah, the whole point of a weapon is to extend the range a person can attack. While also increasing the amount of force muscles can impart in a strike-through mechanical advantage. Gauntlets just go on the fists. They don't extend range and don't increase the force. Granted, they are harder than the body, so they will hurt more than just fists, but that isn't a weapon. Gauntlets are more like armor than anything else. They protect the wearer."

Judgement was not a fan of this insult! How dare she speak as if she knew all the ways to fight. "That's an … interesting opinion. But if used in the right fashion, anything can be used to best an opponent. Take chains, for instance. Not the go-to weapon for most, but very effective."

"Chained what? Like a chained maze or chain sickles?" Coral only got an annoyed look at her question. "Wait? Do you mean using just a chain with nothing attached to it as a weapon? Gods, that sounds stupid!"

"Well." Judgement gritted her teeth. "Your opinion is-"

"It's not an opinion!" Coral cut her off. "It's a fact. Chains are a tool. One meant to hold things together. Chains by themselves can't cut and would only do blunt force, but it would be spread out so much it wouldn't do any damage."

Judgement clamped down on the rage pooling inside her. Chains were NOT dumb. She could and did use them to great effect. Her gauntlets were also amazing weapons! The temptation to take Coral outside for a spar and correct her was strong. But beating Jaune's sister bloody wouldn't make his family problems any better. She would keep this to herself … for now.

"It's been … nice talking to you." Judgement only sneered a little bit. "But I have to go … check on Zdrada. Yes, she might be starting a fire somewhere."

Coral raised an eyebrow as she left the room. "Yeah, good talk, Junie."

Juliet smiled softly as the triplets showed her around their detached apartment—or, as they called it, their dog house. She hoped that was an inside joke. The three young women zipped around, pointing things out, much like when they had given her a tour of the backyard. Again, Juliet struggled to keep up with their boundless energy.

"And this is where we keep our comics." Cerea jumped in place.

"They are Jaune's comics." Bela corrected.

"Ooh, Ooh, we made our own!" Rusana cheered. "Do you wanna see them? Do you, do you, do you?"

Juliet laughed a bit, seeing the hope in their eyes. "Sure, girls, that sounds lovely."

Within moments, dozens of pieces of paper were spread out on one of the beds. Cerberus stood proudly to the side. The pictures looked like something a child would draw, but they didn't lack enthusiasm. As Juliet reads, the story revolves around a man named Alpha. He had three companions that helped him, all faunus girls with dog ears and dog tails, despite the faunus only having one trait.

Even with the simple drawings, the man looked like her son. The fact that the women in the comic called him Alpha and the three women that made them had collars on their necks left Juliet's mind going to uncomfortable places. How did they see her son?

"These are certainly quite expressive. I can see the emotion that was put into it." Juliet complemented what she could. She didn't want to hurt her confidence. "Though the man, um, Alpha, he seems to look a little like Jaune. Did you put him in the comic?"

"OH yes, yes!" Bela bounced in place.

Cerea nodded her head. "He is a great inspiration."

Rusana stilled, however. "Um? Is it bad we put him in?"

All their ears flatten down to their heads. Their big red eyes looked at her like she had the ability to crush all their hopes and dreams.

"Well, um, no, nothing like that, girls." Juliet tried to appease them. "It's just that you, um …. really captured his defining features so I could recognize him is all."

"I thought I was immune to the puppy dog eyes, but I guess I was unprepared for something part dog to do it." Juliet laughed to herself before thinking more about it. "Wait, is it bad I just thought of a faunus as a dog?" Instantly, Cerberus's ears perked up, and they jumped around as they thanked her. It was too cute."I wonder if they are too old to adopt them?" Juliet pushed the thought away as soon as she had it. "What? No, no, I have too many kids as it is! Bad brain."

"Ooh, ooh, do you want to play fetch?" Cerberus asked all at once.

"Fetch?"

"Yes, yes." Rusana grabbed Juliet's arm and tugged her outside.

Bela pushed a ball into Juliet's hands. "You throw it."

"And we go get it!" Cerea cheered.

Juliet blushed at the request but couldn't stop herself as she looked at their expecting faces. She threw the ball as hard as she could. All three girls ran after it, occasionally tripping over each other to get it. Juliet pushed aside any awkwardness as they came back, all smiles and asking to do it again. Those smiles were infectious, and Juliet felt there were worse ways to spend her time.

Jaune watched as more and more bottles were placed on the counter. He and Azazel had already cleaned up from dinner, so there should have been plenty of room. "Um, Malina? Are you sure we need this many drinks?"

"It's New Year's Jaune. You need to drink as much as you can to forget the last shitty year and not get depressed about what is probably yet another shitty year to come. It's tradition." Malina unloaded more of the boxes she had with her. "Hm, running out of space on the counter, guess I'll put more on the table. It isn't New Year's without some drinks."

Jaune nervously gulped. "Actually, we call it-"

"Oh, sweet!" Coral looked over the array of alcohol as she entered the kitchen. "Are we getting twilight smashed? I'm down."

"Twilight night." Jaune finished with a sigh. Coral was too far away and too distracted to hear him explain something so basic. "Ok, ok, just keep everything in the kitchen. I'll make sure the kiddos stay in the living room."

He knew a losing battle when he saw one, so he turned to the doorway.

"What's the matter, little bro? Scared of a little drink." Coral smirked. "How are you planning to endure the life of a huntsman if you can't even handle your liquor?"

Jaune stopped, narrowing his eyes at her. "And how does drinking have anything to do with hunting Grimm?"

"Oh, plenty of things." Coral looked at him like a shark. "First, it lets you settle disagreements with other hunters through a drinking competition instead of a spar. Next, it builds up the strength of your liver, so if a Grimm has poison and it gets to you, then you can filter it out before you die."

"Also, if you get wounded, it can work as a painkiller," Malina added.

Coral smiled wider at the support. "Yeah, that too. It's a shame you are running at the sight of the stuff. But I guess that's what I should expect from someone who isn't huntsman material."

Jaune felt a small flicker of anger come to life inside him, but he pushed it down. He was being played; that much was obvious. But even knowing that, it was hard not to want to prove her wrong. He was curious how Coral came up with those points so quickly. Was this something she talked about with her fellow hunters in training? Did they have those responses prepared in case someone asked?

"We are supposed to spend Twilight night together." Jaune tried to counter her argument. "I don't think Mom and our sisters would like it if we disappeared for most of the celebration."

"Oh, of course." Coral made a pouty face. "Baby needs permission from his mommy to do things, doesn't he?"

"No … " Jaune took a deep breath as he clenched his fists. "I don't. But that doesn't mean I will just not spend time with the rest of my family just to spend time with you."

"How about a compromise?" Malina spoke in a surprisingly diplomatic tone. "You don't need to get blackout drunk. If you can still function, you can still spend time with your gender-bend mini-mes. You'll just drink light stuff while huntress supreme, and I will have the good stuff."

"Wait, how is that fair?" Coral blinked several times. "It's a competition. If he is drinking light shit and I'm not, it will give him an unfair advantage. He is already taller than me. He should have more, if anything, not less."

"Perhaps, but he still needs to work his way up to an acceptable percentage. I'm not risking turning him off from booze altogether by rushing things." Malina held up a hand to stop Coral from arguing. "As his alcohol coach, I won't let you ruin his training when it's barely begun."

It was Jaune's turn to blink as he didn't remember agreeing to have her as his coach. What even was an alcohol coach? What did they do? Did she really take him drinking that seriously?

Coral frowned as she tried to come up with a counterargument.

"Look, think of this as preliminaries. Next year, you'll both drink the same, and the year after, Jaune will drink twice as much as you." Malina looked at Coral. "If you can beat him every time, wouldn't that show that you are better than him?"

"Wellllllll … " Coral rubbed her chin. "I guess it would put him in his place if I still won, even with a handicap. Fine! I agree to the terms. Mark my words, I'm going to win this!"

Malina snorted. "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm going to be competing, too, and I will drink you both under the table."

Coral gave her the side eye. "We'll see."

"Yeay, woopy." Jaune faked a cheer as he turned and made his way to the door. "I'm glad we're all in agreement despite me never agreeing. I'll be back in a bit."

He didn't wait for a reply as he left the kitchen. He wasn't opposed to trying a drink, but jumping straight into a competition seemed a bit too much. Was he really going to enjoy it if he was downing cups of the stuff?

"This is Lisa Lavender at Vale Central Square." A woman on the TV smiled at the camera. Her purple dress shirt and black suit were clear and well-fitted. She brushed a lock of her chin-length lavender hair out of her face as she kept talking. "There are only 2 hours until midnight. The excitement is palpable in the air."

Jaune looked away from the broadcast to the rest of the room.

"Why can't we stay up?" Lapis pouted.

"Yeah! If Coral and Jaune can stay up until midnight, then why can't we?" Jade put her hands on her hips. Silva's eyes were drooping, but she nodded at her sister's words.

"Probably because you are years younger." Jaune couldn't help but think. "This is already past your bedtime."

Juliet wondered why all her children had to be so stubborn. Was it genetic? Was it learned from growing up watching their parents? That would mean she had brought this upon herself. She didn't like the idea of that, so she was just going to pin this on her husband. Yes, shifting the blame to someone else was much easier.

"Alright, fine." Juliet relented to the puppy eyes. "But not a minute after midnight, you are all heading to bed. Understand?"

All three girls nodded their heads.

"Alright then." Jaune smiled as they looked at him. "Let's get prepared for the countdown then."

He helped his sisters gather some poppers and whistles, which were laid out on the table.

"Now, what are we going to do and not do?" Jaune asked.

"Only hold the end and don't touch the burning part." All three young Arcs said at the same time.

Jaune carefully brought the lighter to the end of each sparkler, and as the name implied, they started to sparkle. There was still some time until midnight, and he needed something to keep the girls occupied. He smiled as his plan worked. His sisters were staring at the sparklers, all of them oohing and ahhing as they moved them around.

Juliet sipped her tea as she watched her children. She felt like this was the first moment since Jaune had left home that she was starting to relax. Sadly, it didn't last long.

"Jaune?" Monica politely asked. "You are needed in the kitchen for the next little while for a … situation."

He figured that was vague enough for his mother not to ask about him. He nodded to Juliet, who nodded back to say she was watching his sisters. Getting up, he moved to the door, glancing at Azazel, who smiled. Jaune had already asked her and Justice to keep his younger sisters out of the kitchen.

"Oh, and here I was starting to think you chickened out." Coral smiled at him as he walked into the kitchen. "Guess you're ready to lose?"

The main table was set up with lines of alcohol glasses in front of three seats. Getting the picture, Jaune sat at one. He didn't want to rise to the bait she was putting out, so he didn't reply.

"Good, we are all here." Malina took a sip of her drink before sitting as well. "I have asked Monica to keep count as an unbiased and neutral party so there is no cheating."

Coral eyed the grass that wasn't lined up with the others. "Wait, does that count? We didn't see you drink it; you could inflate the number. How is that fair?"

"What, this?" Malina held up the glass that wasn't with the others. "Oh, this and the others don't count. I got in some pre-drinks before the contest started. Just a little warm-up for the main event."

Coral blinked several times. She had pre-drunk herself, but that was normally before going to a bar, so you didn't have to get as many drinks there and pay their higher prices. Who the hell pre-drinks to a drinking competition? That would put them at a massive disadvantage. "I'm not sure if I should be impressed at such an ability to hold one's liquor or disgusted at the arrogance of her thinking she would win no matter what."

"You know what? Whatever!" Coral eyed the now-filled glasses on the table. "When do we start, and are there any rules?"

"As I am adjudicating, I have settled on a penalty system." Monica finished pouring the last glass. "Try to sabotage an opponent, and you will lose one drink from your tally. Don't spill their drinks or cause them to choke. Either by hitting or making them laugh."

"Alright, fine, can we sta-"

"No spilling your drink, so you need to drink less, no regurgitation, and put your empty glasses farther away so I can refill them. We only have so many glasses." Monica pulled out a notebook. "You can start whenever you want."

Coral glared at her before turning that glare on Jaune, who returned it. Each was waiting for the other to crack, yet neither had the chance. Before either could act, Malina picked out a glass and knocked it back. Slamming it down on the table, she looked between the two. Pushing forward, both picked up a glass. Coral didn't hesitate, and Jaune only did so for a moment.

A burning and somewhat bitter taste went down his throat. Was this just light rum? Jaune wasn't sure how well he was going to handle the "good" stuff Malina was talking about. But alas, as the siblings put their glasses down, the demon at the table picked another up. With no other option, the Arcs followed to keep up. With how things were starting, Jaune wasn't sure this would end well.

Coral took deep breaths and tried to steady herself. The world was tilting, and it was getting harder to grab her glass. But she refused to surrender! Her goal of beating her brother had slowly shifted to beating the little relaxed cunt at the table.

"How is she drinking so much? Where is it all going? Does she have a divine liver or something?" Coral stared as Malina took a drink from the…She doesn't even know how many cups it has been. Apparently, she had gotten bored of waiting for Coral to find the will to have another drink and was mixing screwdrivers for later. "I wonder, if I started praying, if Azazel's God would let me drink more?"

She moved her hand out slowly and carefully. It took her full concentration to bring the glass to her lips without spilling any and drink it. The others followed her despite Malina being one ahead of them.

Jaune was more than willing to wait for his sister. This was a new experience for him, so he took it as slowly as he could. He was not unaffected by what he was drinking. He was absolutely feeling a buzz. The flavor wasn't bothering him anymore. However, he wasn't sure if that was because he was getting used to the taste or the alcohol was making him not care.

He put his next glass down and wondered when one of them would give up or collapse. At this point, Jaune knew it wasn't going to be Malina. Hell, he suspected as much at the start. But seeing them so far into the booze and Malina looking unfazed really drove the message home. Coral looked like she was going to fall over. Considering the demon looked the same as they started, it was clear Malina was going to win. Jaune put little stock in his abilities after what he saw. The main question was if he would get second place or last.

Time went on, and the drinks continued to flow. Jaune's grip on things was steadily slipping. He had completely lost count of how many he drank, and it took concentration to keep his balance. Coral was worse. Swaying back and forth as if in a breeze.

"Huh, I think I'm actually starting to feel something." Malina mused as she drank another glass.

"Whaz did I pell you!" Coral slammed a fist on the table. "Han't even bold her liquor."

Coral pointed at Malina to ensure there was no doubt about who she was talking about. However, her outstretched arm changed her center of gravity. Unable to fix her balance, she tilted over and fell off her chair. As she passed, she bashed her chin on the table and dropped the glass she was holding. She landed with a thud, and her glass spilled its contents everywhere before rolling off the table and hitting Coral in the head.

"Ow … " Coral just groaned.

"That's one negative." Monica calmly sipped her coffee.

"Fuck boo!" Coral half yelled from the floor. Unable to move, let alone get up.

"Wait, does that mean I can beat her?" Jaune could see the light at the end of the tunnel. "I'm in the lead … I think?"

He reached out to grab a glass. Just one more, and he could claim second place. He was so close …

Until all five drinks in front of him were knocked over, blinking, his vision blurry, Jaune's brain struggled to understand what had happened.

"That's negative five." Monica casually wrote on her clipboard. "You should be more careful. It's a bit of a waste."

Oh … It seemed that his depth perception was gone, and he hadn't noticed. In his haste, he had screwed himself. But if he didn't notice his depth perception wasn't working, then what else was he missing? Jaune imagined having five more drinks and wondered if he could still spend time with his little sisters and not incur the wrath of his mother.

"You … know … what?" Jaune concentrated on getting each word out correctly. "I … forfeit."

"Very well." Monica nodded before lightly tapping her foot against Coral's side. "And what about you? Are you still competing?"

"Juiced put it in guy mouth." Coral slurred.

"No, if you can't do it yourselves, then it doesn't count. You have two minutes to have another drink, or I'm calling a winner." Monica looked at a clock to track the time. Coral flailed around on the floor as she struggled to get up. In the end, it was not to be. "And time. You are unable to continue. I'm announcing a winner in Malina. Coral is in second place, and Jaune, you're last."

"Finally!" Malina quickly downed the five drinks in front of her before grabbing the open bottle behind them. "I expect more from you next year, Jaune. I'm increasing your training. But for now, let's get you back to the boring part of the celebration."

Jaune nodded his head, and he stood, hands bracing himself on the table. Stepping away from his support, he stumbled. Before he could fall, Malina pulled an arm around her shoulder and propped him up.

"Ug. I'd normally say you're fat, but I know Judgement wouldn't allow that." Malina struggled with his weight. She couldn't be bothered to use her other name, and Coral was too wasted to notice.

"Malina is soooooo nice." Jaune smiled. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"Thanks!" Jaune pulled her in and wrapped his other arm around her in a hug. "You're the best alcohol coach in the world."

Malina squirmed as her face was pressed into his chest due to the size difference. But still, she found herself hugging back. "Yeah, whatever. I'm only hugging back cause I am wasted … yeah, that's why. Now let go of me, you big lug."

Monica snorted at the sight. She then looked down at Coral on the floor. After a moment of thought, she brought a hand to her lips and whistled.

Jaune rubbed his cheek on the top of Malina's head. Why was he so worried about living with the girls again? They were all so nice. Malina was his woman, right? He should show her more affection to let her know she matters to him. Before he pulled back, he kissed her on the forehead.

"Now I know I'm drunk." Jaune could see her better now that he wasn't hugging her anymore. "Her cheeks look red, and there is no way that grumpy Malina would blush at a hug and a kiss."

"Let's just go already." Malina guided him out of the room. She shoved the bottle she had to her mouth and took several chugs. "Massive pain in my ass."

"Oh, I can help with that." Jaune smiled.

Malina nearly choked on her drink but stopped herself. "What?"

"Yeah, I know how to do massages." Jaune nodded his head. "Saphron made me learn. Said it would help me later with relationships, but I don't know what she meant. Though she also made me practice on Terra, I think she just didn't want to learn."

Cerberus ran into the kitchen just before the two of them got to the door. Malina paid them no mind as she ushered them forward. She swore to all the floors of hell if her blush didn't die down before they got to the TV room and the others, she was going to stab someone.

"Girls, could you be a dear and help our guest get to her feet?" Monica looked at Cerberus and pointed to Coral.

"Sure!" Every Cerberus said at once. Two grabbed an arm and pulled Coral off the floor. The third came up from behind and held her sides. The three hounds ended up hugging her from three sides to keep her upright.

"Sanks me majesty. Ball hail thy Coffee Goddess!" Coral didn't look at Monica's eyes as she praised her; instead, she stared over the demon's shoulder. Then she looked side to side to see what was pressing into her. "Band your minions have puffy ears … and by whaz pushen into me nice tot-tots as well."

"Hmm, yes. Your goddess thinks you should go with the others." Monica said before looking at Cerberus. "Please take her to the living room."

With a nod, the dog pile moved, and Monica followed them.

Jaune had spent the last hour playing with his younger sisters, much to their joy. They liked spending time with him, though his smile was a bit goofy, or at least more so than normal. However, as time went by, there was only one way the end could come.

"We are only one minute away, folks." Lisa Lavender said from the TV. "Get ready for the countdown!"

"You heard her, girls." Jaune passed the whistles and poppers to his younger sisters. Some others in the room were doing the same.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6," Everyone in Vale Square counted as a large screen showed the countdown. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

"Rest now, Old Year, and awaken New Year!"

Everyone on the TV chanted as one. Jaune spoke along with his mother and sisters. Even Coral, as drunk as she still was, managed to get out something similar to the customary saying.

His younger sisters, along with Juliet, Azazel, Cerberus, Justice, and Modeus, all looked a bit goofy with the whistles in their mouths, but Jaune joined them. As one, they blew, and the part at the front rolled out as they made its signature noise. Modeus smiled as hers unfurled as it looked like a dick going into her mouth. Sadly, for her, at least, no one was looking to see it.

At the same time as the whistles, they all pulled their poppers, sending confetti everywhere with a bang. But this time, they were joined by Coral, Baphomet, Monica, Malina, and even Lucifer.

Most in the room cheered, and Cerberus even let out a happy howl. In all the commotion, Jaune's eyes found Beel beside him, clapping softly and smiling. He couldn't help but admire her features. Her red eyes were more warm than menacing, her smooth skin and her lips looked shiny. Kissable, even.

He needed to be more proactive.

Three girls had come to his room already. He wasn't opposed to them making the first move, but he needed to, too. Maybe it was the booze from earlier making him bolder, but who the fuck cared right now?

His arm snaked around Beel's waist and pulled her close as her eyes widened. He smashed his lips to hers, tasting … Wait, did she eat chicken? Had she been eating a snack? It wouldn't surprise him. If it were something greasy, then that would explain why her lips were so shiny.

Once over her initial shock, Beel grabbed the back of his head to pull him deeper and kissed back. Not one to be denied a taste of something, her tongue darted out and ran around the inside of his mouth.

"My, My, darling. That was unexpected." Beel smiled as she broke the kiss. "But not unpleasant. I do hope I won't have to wait until next year to get more sugar."

"Nope." Jaune popped the P. "Arc's promise."

"Oh, good." Beel lightly pushed him away. "But for now, remember we are in polite company."

Jaune suddenly recalled the fact that his family was only a few feet away. He sighed in relief as he noticed all of them were still distracted. He smiled sheepishly as he stepped back and acted like the kiss hadn't just happened. As the cheering settled down, it was time to call things to a close.

"Well, I think it's time for bed." Juliet picked up Silva, who had fallen asleep as soon as things had died down. "Or far past it for some."

Jaune smiled as Azazel carried Lapis and Justice carried Jade, both following Juliet. The mother of the Arc family eyed her older daughter as she moved before dismissing her. If she was an 'adult' as she claimed, then Coral could find her own way to bed.

"Seriously, do they think I don't know what that smell is? That I've never drank in my life?" Juliet knew her children were going to leave the nest at some point, and she would have no control over what they did. She needed to give them space to do their own thing. That was a harsh lesson she needed to relearn with Jaune. He and Coral had spent a long time away from home, so she couldn't really tell them what to do. There were worse things people could do than have some drinks one night, but still. "Does Coral not remember we are sharing a bed? Gods above, I hope she doesn't make her way to our room, or I'm going to reek of booze too in the morning."

Coral didn't notice them leaving as she was too busy petting Cerberus's ears. Jaune raised an eyebrow at the sight but left her be. He moved to the door as well but didn't make it.

"Don't worry, I'll carry you." Judgement stepped in front of him.

Jaune stared at her. He didn't think he needed to be carried. Sure, when he first stood up, he had been a bit unsteady and needed Malina to help him. But after walking for a bit, he was able to keep himself upright. Maybe he wasn't as drunk as he thought. "Uh, it's ok. I'm n-"

"I don't need your concern." Judgement wrapped an arm around his shoulders before leaning down to do the same with his knees. "I am more than strong enough to lift you."

Jaune blinked as his feet left the ground. He wasn't going to say anything about her not being strong enough. This was very unnecessary. But … she was also very warm. Her muscles were firm, but it wasn't unpleasant. Her breasts, however, were soft, and his head was conveniently close to one so he could nuzzle his face into it.

Judgement huffed. "I will allow this, just this once. Maybe."

Once in his room, she put him back on his feet.

"Thanks, Judgement." Jaune moved to the bathroom to do his business and see about making sure he had what he needed in case he got a hangover tomorrow. However, when he came back out, he was surprised to see Judgement was still there. "Um, I'm going to change now."

"I'll watch." Judgement stated as if there was nothing else to say. After Jaune stared at her for a bit, she continued. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You aren't used to having alcohol."

"Ummm. I am pretty sure I am not THAT drunk." Jaune said slowly, trying to see if he could defuse the situation. Maybe Judgment had something to drink, too? It might explain her current behavior. She was being more direct and somewhat pushier than usual.

"Never hurts to be sure." She replied, not moving from her spot. Gulping, Jaune knew he didn't have good odds of convincing her otherwise. That, and he couldn't make her leave even if he wanted to, seeing how she was a demon and he was a human. She had the advantage of being a supernatural being with powers far above those of a simple human.

So, without fighting it, Jaune decided to change. He didn't need to strip naked, thankfully, keeping his underwear on. However, she could not take her eyes off him.

"I'm the one who put most of the work into shaping his body. Why shouldn't I see it?" Judgement asked herself. Though truthfully said, she was curious about something else. She heard from Modeus how Jaune was apparently 'packing'. Now, she was no stranger to slang. She knew what Modeus meant, but she had to see it for herself. "I have been training him since we returned. I am pretty sure I'd have noticed if he was that big! Right? Wait, no. Tight underwear exists. Shit! I could have totally missed it! But surely, he isn't … isn't … Oh, Lord Supreme of Hell, have mercy."

Down in the depths of Hell, Ignium sneezed. "Fuck, who is calling me out?"

Judgement gulped, seeing the outline, and she'd have stared more, but Jaune got dressed faster than she anticipated.

"Well? Everything good?" Jaune asked slowly, and Judgement snapped out of her trance.

"Yes!" She replied too strongly. "Oh, I mean, yes, sure, everything is adequate. Go to sleep now, Jaune. We still have a lot of work to do, especially now that the holidays are over."

"Right. Good night, Judgement." He said to her, and the demoness turned to the door.

"Night, Jaune."

"Love you!"

That last line from Jaune gave her pause, making her blush strongly as she looked back at him. But he was already asleep, so she closed the door and proceeded to her room. Once her door was closed, she made sure no one was on the other side. Then, she removed her bottom clothing.

"Stupid, Jaune … " Her breathing grew labored as she began touching herself. "Just … Fuck! Lucifer, just get on with it already! I cannot hold on much longer … And neither can Beel."

Truly, it was a new year with new possibilities.