Fate DxD Vol.16
Chapter 88
"There you go, Senji-sama, you're all set for tonight. The suit fits you perfectly." One of the maids runs her hands over the suit one last time to avoid any creases.
"Huh, thanks." I look at myself in the mirror, somewhat afraid to move with an outfit like that.
They bowed and then left the room without a sound, leaving me alone to face the mirror twice my size, allowing me to see the suit tailor-made for me. A dark blue suit, with a small silver bar on the upper torso bearing the House of Gremory symbol, a black shirt, dark blue pants and smooth black shoes. I don't dare touch it, or even move much, because I can see and feel that this outfit costs a small fortune.
"Aren't I a little too young to be wearing this kind of clothing?" I wonder, moving my arms uncomfortably.
"There's no age to be well-dressed Senji." A familiar voice is heard.
I turn towards the bedroom entrance, to see Rias' head protruding from the doorway. When our eyes meet, she smiles and enters the room, standing next to me to inspect me.
"Maybe... But... I'm still uncomfortable with it. It's the first time I've worn something so expensive..." I sigh, before turning to her. "Did you finish getting ready early?"
"Yes, so I thought why not go and see my lovely servants, and you're the only one who finished. I got lectured by the maids who were preparing Akeno and Kiba, so I came to take refuge here, Fufu." She giggles.
"...I see, you're really in a good mood." I say, seeing her amused by my reaction.
"Of course I am, this party is for us and our victory, not this damn marriage." She proudly exclaims. "But let's forget about that for a second." Rias steps back and spins around, presenting her dress. "How do you find me?"
Rias wears a pale pink dress, highlighting her long red hair. The dress encases her curves perfectly, showing off all her beauty. The top is rolled up, leaving her shoulders bare, and the bottom of the dress falls diagonally, leaving her right lower leg bare. And she's wearing white heels.
I'm speechless, looking her up and down, not knowing what to say, I can feel my cheeks blushing, but I ignore it, comptemplanting the one who is considered the most beautiful girl in Kuoh, standing right in front of my eyes. My gaze returns to her face, and I can see that she too has flushed cheeks, but above all a smile of satisfaction emerges. She moves closer and leans in, her face close to mine.
"What's up? What do you think?" She asks me in a playful tone.
"Well, um, you look, well I mean, you look great. No, more than that, I mean..." I stutter, not knowing what to say.
I notice some make-up too, her lips are redder, her eyes have more depth and her skin is more sparkling, and above all the perfume, a sweet smell takes my nostrils.
"Fufufu, you're too cute Senji." Rias laughs.
"Sorry..." I sigh, ashamed.
"But no need, I take it as a compliment. Leaving you speechless is a victory, you know..." She suddenly avoids my gaze, playing with her hair.
A slightly awkward silence settles over the room, so I turn to the mirror, showing us both. I feel the pressure building inside me, regretting more and more that I wanted to go to this party, if only I had a way of disappearing easily... I notice Rias looking me up and down, then she steps towards me, reaches behind and puts her hands on my shoulders, looking up at me from the mirror.
"But you're not left out Senji. That suit looks great on you. You leave me speechless too..." Suddenly, she runs her hands down my body and pulls me close. "I'm so happy to have you with me..."
I stand speechless, surprised by Rias' action. I don't know what to do; on the one hand, my body is begging me to get out of this embrace, but on the other, I feel like I need it terribly...
(What's the matter with me...)
"President..." I start but she stops me with a question I'd been dreading.
"Senji, what do you think of me?" She asks me. "What am I to you?"
I'm speechless. I already know the answer, but I can't give it. Now that I know how I feel about her, I just can't tell her. Rias is the future of her house, she's destined for great things. Whereas me, in 4 years I'll be gone, I know what kind of life awaits me after graduation, and I can't inflict that kind of thing on her, she deserves so much better than me. I have no choice but to reject her, even if it means she hates me, which would be even better, at least I'd be sure nothing could happen between us.
"President." I separate from her and face her.
(Besides, I don't deserve this tenderness, I never deserved it, I'm a child who should never have existed, a child who should have died that night.)
I suddenly think of Chiyo, her voice, her mannerisms, her laughter, her hugs, her hands mingling with mine, her kisses. And a little voice in my head tells me that it would also be possible with Rias. But no, my relationship with Chiyo is different, or so I think...
(The more I think about it, the more it scares me...)
"I don't deserve anything from you..." I start but stop.
Her face changes from expectation to surprise to anger. Anger at me. Seeing this, I raise my arms to protect myself, but noise from the corridor stops me. Rias and I turn towards the noise to see the door open, revealing Akeno, sticking her head through the opening.
"Ara ara, am I interrupting something?" She asks.
Rias looks at her, then turns her gaze to me, before sighing and relaxing.
"No, we were just finished." She says, then leans toward me. "Don't ever say that again."
She moves towards Akeno, leaving me alone with this last sentence that I don't understand. I turn to the mirror, looking straight at myself. Vivid flashes of memory of my parents appear, making me shiver.
(If I didn't deserve anything before, why should that change now...?)
"Senji-kun? Are you coming?" Akeno calls to me.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, before turning to join her.
"Is everything all right, Senji-kun? I hope Rias hasn't put too much pressure on you?" Akeno asks in her usual tone.
"No, everything's fine..." I look at her, and go speechless.
Akeno wears a dress resembling a kimono, but more traditional and chic. The top is black with floral patterns, and the sleeves are full and long. The bottom of the dress is red, fading to blue towards the end. White motifs running down the length of the dress add an original touch to the outfit. The dress adapts perfectly to her curves, showing off all her beauty.
"Oh my, did I cut your tongue out? Looks like I chose my outfit well then, fufufu..." Akeno chuckles, seeing me blush.
(I'd started to get used to seeing Akeno and Rias, but seeing them in such outfits... Many would pay a lot to see them like that...)
"Senji-san!" I turn toward the voice to see Asia and the others arriving.
Asia is wearing a short-sleeved, dark green bohemian dress with a green belt at the waist, the dress stops just above the knees. I can see she's a bit embarrassed, but she's doing her best, it seems she's like me at this kind of event.
"I see everyone is ready." Kiba said.
He wears a black jacket, with a white shirt underneath, a belt with the Gremory symbol on it and black pants.
As for Koneko, she's wearing a simplistic pink dress with a purple sash and large bow running down her leg, and white lace gloves.
"Senji-san... How do you find me?" Asia asks, presenting herself to me.
"Um... You... you look really lovely, the color green really suits you." I finally manage to get out a compliment.
"Oh! Oh... Thank you... you're very handsome too, Senji-san..." Asia blushes so much that I can see smoke coming out of her head.
"Ara ara, Asia-chan is quite right, both you and Kiba really are our two handsome gentlemen." Akeno compliments us.
"Well, sorry to cut you off, but we've arrived." Rias calls out to us.
Indeed, since leaving the room, I've simply followed the others without paying too much attention, and here we are, facing a large door, guarded by two spear-armed guards.
"I don't think I need to tell you, but this ceremony is for us. So behave yourselves, show your best side. Our image starts now, and will follow us for the rest of our lives. I'm counting on you, my lovely servants!" Rias exclaims.
"Yes!" We all respond, some more enthusiastically than others.
Rias turns to one of the guards and nods. The latter reciprocates, nods to his colleague and both open the large doors, allowing us to enter.
I was expecting just a party room, but it's actually a huge ballroom. Filled with tables and people all dressed up, so many that my head is spinning. As we enter the room, all eyes turn to us. Some come up to us, especially Rias, congratulating her on her victory. Some greet us, but most ignore us.
Step by step, we make our way to a table, filled with cuisine worthy of the finest restaurants. Seeing this, Koneko is the first to sit down and take the small pastries.
"Here's our table, settle in, it's going to be a long evening, so make yourselves comfortable." Rias says. "Akeno and I are going to see several people, so go ahead and feel free, but with decency, okay?" she asks, winking at us.
We nodded along with Asia and Kiba, before Rias and Akeno disappeared into the crowd. We settle in, and while Asia helps herself, Kiba and I observe the room.
"All these people... I feel like we're less than nothing when they look at us..." I mumble.
"For some, yes. Everyone who came to Rias invited themselves to this party. When they heard about our victory, they must have seen it as an opportunity." Kiba explains.
"Getting their kids married to the President?" I ask.
"True, but most of them come from friends of the Phenex family. But when it comes to the Gremory family friends, let's just say it feels like we're part of one big family." Kiba said with a smile.
"...I see. Part of a big family, huh..." I murmur, taking a cake.
Time seems to stretch, as several people come up to us with warm smiles, congratulating us on our victory. And others, far less welcoming, provoking us and reminding us that we're simple, low-class devils and that our victory means nothing.
We ignore most of them, content to nod and go along with them. But most of the evening consists of doing nothing, eating and watching the people around us.
Just as I'm about to serve my comrades and myself some water, I see two people coming towards us, smiling. Their blond hair and blue eyes immediately tell me that they are Riser and Ravel's parents, both of whom look exactly like their parents. The man appears to be in his early twenties, rather tall, with a presence so great that he seems to glow slightly. He's wearing a red shirt with flame motifs on it, and red trousers. His wife by his side is beautiful, also in her twenties, and the spitting image of his daughter, except for her curves and more mature appearance. Her long blond hair falls back in a ponytail. She wears a long red dress and a necklace with two rubies.
"At last we arrive at their table." Said the woman.
"Good evening to you, Lord Phenex, Lady Phenex, Rias Gremory-senpai is not present at the moment, would you perhaps like us to go and look for her?" Kiba stands up and bows to them.
"Oh no, not at all, we've already crossed paths with her. It's you we wanted to see." Lady Phenex smiles at us. "We wanted to congratulate you on your victory against our son."
"Yes, you gave us a magnificent duel and a totally deserved victory." Lord Phenex adds proudly. "And we especially wanted to thank Senji Emiya."
"Yes?" I stand up in turn, seeing them both turn toward me.
"Senji Emiya, we both watched your duel, and I must say it was very impressive and slightly terrifying, knowing that you can just undo the pride that is our immortality." Lord Phenex laughed, making his wife sigh.
"Ah, well, it was rather necessary if we wanted to win..." I scratch the back of my head.
"Don't pay attention to the nonsense my husband says. We wanted to thank you, our son... how can I put this..." Lady Phenex ponders, but it's her husband who takes over.
"As you noticed, Riser had become far too arrogant; for him, nothing was a challenge anymore, thinking that our family's powers were insurmountable. So he never trained and took this duel as a walk in the park. It saddens me to say all this as his father, but this defeat was necessary for him, and I hope it's a good lesson for him." Lord Phenex explains.
"Exactly, that's what our boy missed, defeat, he overestimated the power of our clan, but the Phoenix is not absolute, especially against a dragon." Lady Phenex adds.
"I see... In any case, I hope I haven't offended you too much with my words." I bow my head apologetically.
"Oh no! Not at all, it was simply the truth, hard to hear at first, but we couldn't help but realize our mistake..." Lord Phenex looks at his wife, somewhat embarrassed.
"Mhm." Lady Phenex nodded. "Sure, this marriage was good for pure Devils but it seems we were too greedy. Our respective families already had pure Devil grandchildren, we feel really silly to tell the truth, but it's a good lesson for us too, after all, we're just as much at fault."
"Sirzechs Lucifer-sama explained the situation to me, and I must say I understand you a little better, after the last war, I imagine your decisions were motivated by a source of urgency." I explain.
"That's absolutely right." Lady Phenex nods. "I thank you for your understanding."
"So all this is to thank you Senji Emiya and congratulate you for facing our son alone. And I must say that knowing the Sekiryuutei is on our side is quite interesting. We hope to see more promising things." Lord Phenex examines me, curious.
"On that note, we have more people to meet, so we'll leave you to it. Have a nice evening." Lady Phenex, greets us, before dragging her husband with her, who follows her with disinterest.
We watch them leave, then let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the pressure lift off us too. Even though they've been very kind to us, the pressure and aura they exert is palpable. If they'd wanted, all they'd have had to do was snap their fingers and we'd have been cremated without even realizing it. I thought Riser was strong, but his parents are on a completely different level.
We sit down again and I'm about to attack a new cake with Koneko, when new footsteps are heard behind us, stopping at our table.
"Well, it looks like the Phenex have already passed, I told you darling, we took too long with Rias and Akeno." A foreign voice is heard.
Except for Kiba and Koneko, who turns and bows their head in respect, immediately recognizing said person.
"Venelana Gremory-sama, Zeoticus Gremory-sama, nice to see you again." Kiba said.
"Kiba, even if it's an official party, let's forget about the formalities between us, I'm glad to see you too." Said the man in front of us.
Asia and I turn to face the two people opposite Kiba and Koneko, and I immediately know who they are. To tell the truth, it's not very difficult. The man has the appearance of an attractive middle-aged man, with long crimson hair tied back in a loose ponytail with a black headband. His eyes are bright blue. He also sports a short red beard with fang-like or horn-like protuberances. And the woman next to him looks very much like Rias, but with shorter, flaxen hair and violet eyes. There's no doubt these are Rias and Sirzechs' parents.
"Kiba-san, Koneko-chan, how happy I am to see you again, it's been a long time." Venelana greets Kiba and Koneko very tenderly, which surprises me.
"Yes, we missed you..." Koneko replies.
"And we also meet the new Rias recruits." Zeoticus turns to us, which impresses Asia.
Not surprisingly, these two are also on a whole new level, and they don't hide it. It would seem that this party is far more important than it lets on.
"Allow me to introduce them to you." Kiba stands next to us. "This is Asia Argento, our second [Bishop] and Senji Emiya, our one and only [Pawn]."
"Pleased to meet you." I bow in turn.
"Pleased to meet you!" Asia does the same.
"Rias was quite right, you're both adorable!" Venelana said, stepping towards us.
"Welcome to the Gremory clan, you're part of the family now, so let's toast with a little booze to celebrate!" Zeoticus exclaims, sounding amused.
Hearing this, my body shudders, and I take a step back. Rias' mother notices and looks at me with concern.
"Zeoticus-sama, we're still underage." Kiba tries to calm his eagerness.
"Oh, boy, one little drink won't hurt you!" Zeoticus conjures up a bottle of wine from what appears to be a dimensional pocket.
"Zeoticus, that's enough, they're not allowed to drink alcohol until they're 18, so put that bottle away, you wouldn't want the image of someone forcing children to drink would you?" Venelana intervenes.
"Ahh, well okay, I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit, it can't be much fun for them to be here." Zeoticus remarks.
"I know, but it's necessary for them, it's their first step into the world of the Rating Game, especially if Rias is serious about taking part." Venelana retorts.
"By the way. We're here to catch up, meet Asia and Senji, but above all to congratulate you on your majestic victory over Riser, you really made me proud!" Zeoticus exclaims, with a touch of emotional tone in his voice.
"Yes, you were all very impressive." Venelana turns to Koneko, who bows her head. "Even you, Koneko." She walks over to her and gently raises her head. "Each of your efforts was precious, you can be proud of yourself."
"Thank you very much." Said Kiba, and we all bowed in thanks.
"Yes, you were all amazing, but one was more amazing than the rest." Zeoticus turns to me, a curious smile on his face. "Senji, your duel with Riser was very interesting. It's been a long time since I've seen a Phenex bite the dust like that."
"But what surprised me most was your interaction when you took away his powers. Why did you take so long to talk to him when you could have defeated him immediately?" Rias' mother asks.
"If you listened to our duel then you already know. It's simply because he pissed me off. I wanted to make him swallow his words. This guy has no respect for your daughter and for us, he saw this duel as a waste of time, while we were talking about a brutal change of life for the President. He only saw her as an object and that was unbearable for me." I clench my fists.
"I see, it seems our girl has a talent for choosing her servants." Zeoticus said sincerely, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Indeed, thank you all for defending our daughter's honor." Venelana nods.
"But... you don't blame us for ruining this wedding? It was very important to you." I ask.
"It was indeed, but not compulsory. Sirzech has already explained it to you, but we wanted to ensure Rias' safety in addition to our clan, completely forgetting her happiness..." Venelana replies guiltily. "But we're back where we started, having to protect her. If she refuses to marry for the time being, then please promise us to ensure her safety, whatever happens. Rias is important to the survival of the Devils."
"That goes without saying." I reply.
"...Yes, you can count on us." Koneko adds.
"I would give my life for the President." Said Kiba.
"I... I'll do my best!" Asia finishes.
"Venelana, I'm sure you didn't even have to ask. My wife worries too much about Rias, but I trust you, so watch out for her, after all, our daughter is still clumsy." Zeoticus laughed, exasperating his wife.
"Father! Mother! What are you doing here?! I asked you to wait for me before going to see them!" Rias' voice is heard behind them.
Her parents turn to see their daughter, accompanied by Akeno, who giggles beside her.
"Sorry Rias, but your father couldn't stand hearing the old stories about..." Venelana apologizes to her daughter, who pouts.
The discussion shifts and attention turns to Rias, I look at them, laughing and having fun. Seeing Rias smile again, a feeling of satisfaction comes over me, glad to know that all our efforts have been rewarded. And yet, a feeling of loneliness seizes me, as if I'm drifting away from all these people surrounding me, down a dark corridor.
"Welcome to the Gremory clan, you're part of the family now,"
The words of Rias' father echo in my head, terrifying me, I can hardly breathe, I feel palpitations and dizziness throughout my body.
(No... I can't... I don't want to go back...)
Suddenly, someone grabs my hand and I look up to see that it's Rias, who looks at me with a concerned expression, before turning to her parents.
"Anyway, we've got something to sort out with Senji, so don't anyone get in our way, thanks!" Rias leaves, taking me with her.
"Fufufu, good luck Senji-kun." Akeno chuckles.
"Take care of Rias, Senji." Zeoticus says to me with a laugh, raising his glass.
Rias drags me with her across the room, avoiding everyone who wants to talk to her, concentrating on where she's going. Holding me by the hand, Rias leads me to a veranda, which she opens and leads us both out onto a balcony. She closes the curtains and the veranda, cutting us off from the rest of the party. I walk over to the marble barrier, resting on it and admiring the landscape before my eyes. Gremory Manor overlooks the town in front, standing right next to a huge round lake. But what surprises me most is the sky. The night is an intense violet, streaked with thousands of bright white lights, resembling stars, and above all no sign of a moon, which I find a little disconcerting.
"So, how do you like the Underworld?" Rias asks, stepping up beside me.
"The sky is surprising, seeing it purple instead of black is strange." I say, focusing my gaze on the city, which takes the shape of a hexagon.
"And again, you haven't seen the day, the sky takes on a green color, and sometimes even turns red." Rias explains.
"Huh, that's interesting... are the clouds red here?" I ask, curious.
"Fufu, not at all, in fact, normally our sky is the same all the time, purple. But for the sake of the reincarnated Devils, the Four Great Satans decided to create a day-night cycle just like on Earth. The color change is surely an unwanted effect of this change." Rias replies.
"I see..." I nod.
I had never seen so many white dots in the sky, even on Earth, and away from any civilization, it was still very rare to have a completely starlit sky. A calm, restful silence surrounds us, giving me a chance to breathe. Being surrounded by so many people is not something I enjoy, and it's a good thing that eating helps me calm down, otherwise I'd have had an anxiety attack a long time ago. Suddenly, I hear laughter, which makes me turn my head in a hurry, before calming down.
"Something's wrong Senji, I can see it. What is it?" Rias asks me.
"No, it's nothing, everything's fine." I try to let it go but Rias doesn't give me the chance.
"Stop lying to me Senji. I can see it on your face, you look so down... Please tell me if there's anything I can do for you." Rias insists. "It's my parents, isn't it? Did they say something bad to you?"
"...He didn't mean it bad, but your father told us we were part of your family now and... I can't..." My hands begin to shake. "Look, it's pathetic isn't it? I can't even accept kindness from others..."
"It isn't Senji." Rias takes my hands in hers, caressing them gently. "You're deeply traumatized, all you have to do is explain it to my parents and they'll gladly adapt, they'll pay attention and even seek to help you, just as I wish to help you."
"...That's kind, but there's no need, after all, the demons of my past don't concern you. You don't have to go to all that trouble..." I said, freeing my hands from Rias.
"It doesn't concern me... And is it too selfish if I want it to be?" I raise my head to Rias, surprised by her words.
"No President, don't say..." I mumble a few words, but she cuts me off.
"I saw the replay of our fight and especially your duel with Riser. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. Seeing and hearing you defend me and my honor with such determination, talking back to him when he spoke ill of me... I couldn't stop looking at it again and again, and then all at once, all the pressure I'd built up disappeared, and I started to burst into tears." Rias takes my hand again, stroking the back with her thumb. "Watching you defeat Riser over and over again, I realized that at that moment I was free, free to love whoever I wanted, free to fulfill my dreams and ambitions, free to spend time with all of you... and it's all thanks to you Senji, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart, you're my hero."
Hearing this, I widen my eyes and look her straight in the eyes, not believing my ears. She looks at me softly and tenderly, with tears in her eyes. Her words echo in my head, making me forget my own thoughts.
(I am... her hero...?)
"But... I can't help wondering why you went to all this trouble. Was it because I asked you to, or was there some other motivation on your part. You see where I'm going with this, don't you? Please tell me, I need to know." Rias asks me insistently, impatiently awaiting an answer from me.
Hesitation grips me, and I lower my gaze to her hand holding mine. The truth is she already knows the answer, I'm sure, but she wants to hear it from me. But I can't tell her what she wants to hear. I'm not the right person for her.
"I wanted you to be happy." I answer honestly. "I couldn't stand knowing you were going to spend the rest of your life with the regret that is this marriage." Flashes of my parents pop into my head, seeing them screaming and hitting each other, making me cringe.
"And I'm happy thanks to you, I've even found the person I was looking for, there she was, right in front of me all this time." She said with a nervous laugh.
My mouth opens but nothing comes out, I'm in the middle of a conflict. I feel like I'm reliving the same situation with Chiyo. But this time it's different. Chiyo and I are both lost in this world, and we've found each other by pure chance. But for Rias it's quite the opposite: she's destined for great things, she's the heiress of a great family... She deserves much better than me.
"No President, you deserve much better than me... I'm not..."
"Stop right there before I get seriously upset." Rias cuts me off in a weary voice. "How can you talk about yourself like that?"
"Because it's the truth, I..."
"But no, it's not! How can you say something like that!?" I seem to have really pissed her off but I don't understand why. "And then it seems to me that it's me again who has the right to choose who I want to be with, it seems to me that we've fought so hard for this, haven't we?"
"Yes, you're right, but..."
"There are no buts. Do you want to see me happy? Then what will make me happiest is to see you happy Senji. You don't know how hard it is to see you so distant between us. You never smile, you never laugh, you're always cold, your gaze is evasive. It's so hard to get close to you, but I don't hesitate anymore. I want to see you smile, laugh with us, enjoy life with us, love. I told you I wanted to help you, that's what I'm going to do. And it starts with telling you that I love you, Senji. You've shown me that you're the person I've been looking for. I want to make you happy, I want us both to share that happiness."
I'm speechless, completely transfixed by Rias' declaration. I've heard these words before, from people trying to help me, but at the time, they were hollow, I didn't believe a word of them, thinking they were trying to drive me deeper into despair. But now, at this very moment, it's just the opposite: I can feel Rias' kindness and honesty spreading through my body like a source of comforting warmth. And my whole body is craving it, as if I were becoming addicted to it, it frightens me but I still want more.
"I... huh?" I touch my cheek, feeling a liquid run, seeing that it's tears. "What's happening to me?" I try to wipe them away, but they keep flowing without stopping. "This is the first time this has happened to me, I'm sorry President, I..."
"No, everything's fine..." Rias also seems to have tears in her eyes. "These are tears of joy Senji, so cry all you want, just let them out." Rias takes me in her arms, cuddling me, comforting me against her.
I wrap my arms around her without realizing it, a reflex I've had since I started dating Chiyo.
"So? Do you accept your feelings for me? Because I'm ready." Said Rias in my ears.
"...Yes... President...I love you..." I become a heap of uncontrollable emotion, no longer recognizing myself.
Normally, this situation would disgust me and I'd want to hide so she wouldn't see me like this. But no, Rias embraces me, holding me close, her warmth, her softness, and the strong beating of her heart against her chest soothes me, as if it were erasing all my worries.
"I love you too Senji, and I have a lot of love to give you." She said with a chuckle.
We stay like that, one against the other, for a few seconds, but which seem to last an eternity, before separating, with our hands still entwined.
"How did you know... about my feelings towards you?" I ask, embarrassed.
"Fufu, it's been a while, ever since our late-night chat during our ten-day training session." She replies. "You know, I feel like you're being a little too honest, without even realizing it, which is a bit much for someone who shows so little emotion."
"I guess so..." I nod. "But I can't help wanting to know, why me?"
"Senji..." She sighs. "Well, this is a bit embarrassing, but it started when... um..." She avoids my gaze, her cheeks flushing. "Just before Grayfia stopped us..."
"Oh..." My brain brings up images of that night...
"At first, it was pure lust, when I tried to tempt you to sleep with me, you refused, wanting to understand me and you even worry about me. I was curious, and as our training progressed it turned into something more... passionate. I'd never felt that way about anyone before, and it came true when we fought Riser. All I could think about was you, I wanted to talk to you, touch you, I wanted you to notice me. And now it's happened." Her smile has never been so sparkling.
"I see, we started at the same time so..." I whisper.
"Fufu, it would seem so." She chuckles.
"Wait..." Suddenly, my mind realizes the situation, as if emerging from a dream. "What am I going to say to Chiyo?!"
"Fufu, I suspected it, you two are together aren't you?" She asks, but it's obvious she already knew the answer. "Don't worry, she'll understand."
"What do you mean?"
"Harems are common among Devils, and you're the possessor of dragon power, so you're bound to attract the opposite gender. Leave it to me, if Chiyo truly loves and understands you, then all will be well."
"...And you don't mind?"
"No, I'd been prepared for that, and besides, I'm the one who'd be in charge of your harem after all."
"What? What do you mean by that?"
"Fufufu, get ready Senji, I'll make you the perfect man."
"Don't dodge the question!"