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DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 61
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 20:33:29 +0000 UTCEdited by: Priapus, Marethyu
– Serafall –
Contrary to what some believed, despite knowing the importance of her job, Serafall hated it with all her heart. She hated having to wake up early in the morning, she hated to sign one gorillion papers a day, she hated running around trying to maintain good relationships with other factions, and she hated how little free time she was left with.
Even ‘Little’ was an exaggeration of how much she had. In reality, on a day-to-day basis, Serafall didn’t even have a minute for herself. She had only a couple of hours of sleep that she couldn’t use for anything else because she was obligated to do her job for as long as she was awake.
This was torture. Serafall didn’t want to work day in and day out. How else was she supposed to actually live? Because whatever this was, it wasn’t living. She’d go complain to Sirzechs if he wasn’t also swamped with work.
That was how it had always been for them. From the end of the Civil War to now. Even the treaty with the yakuza hadn’t made things easier for them— well, it had for a bit, at least in a way where she didn’t have to walk on eggshells around them, but the treaty was actually more work.
And with the idiotic Old Satans invading them during one of their few moments of respite, causing way too many problems, Serafall felt like she was about to implode. Was this hell? Would this suffering ever end?
But ultimately, Serafall knew that it was beneath her. That, just like always, she’d come on top and conquer the evil mountain of paperwork. After all, this was nothing to her, the most Magical Girl that had ever Magical Gired. And besides, none of that pain came close to her worst nightmare. The foulest torture someone like her could ever go through.
“What?” Her beloved sister asked as they stood in the Sitri estate’s courtyard, wearing their training tracksuits. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“I’m just happy that I finally get to spend time with Sona-tan.” Serafall giggled. “I missed you so much~”
Indeed. Serafall could handle ten times the amount of paperwork she had been doing these past few weeks, but being unable to see Sona-tan? It was unbearable. Miserable. Pure despair. Why even live at that point?
When her sister had shown up outside her office, Serafall had been immensely confused. For a moment, she’d been worried that Sona was hurt or something, but she felt healthy. Why would she come here if she wasn’t in trouble? Her sister took care of herself just fine in Kuoh, and she’d made that explicitly clear.
Then, Serafall remembered that they were just done with the first term. Perhaps she’d come here to spend the vacation in the Underworld? That was a little weird. She’d thought for sure that Sona would rather spend it in the human world with her friends, as jealous as it made the Leviathan.
Regardless of her reasons, Serafall had quickly realized that this was her free get-out-of-work card, so she pounced on her beloved sister before she could go anywhere. Finally, to spend a whole day with Sona-tan… Even a minute was enough to rejuvenate Serafall.
But when Sona told her why she was back in the underworld, Serafall became very surprised. Training? Sona wanted to train? Her bookworm of a sister wanted to exercise with her Onee-chan? This was much better than she’d imagined. They weren’t just hanging out but also doing a fun activity together!
Back then, when Sona was little, she had never wanted to train. She even stopped practicing right after her twelfth birthday. Besides the basics, Sona had never bothered to actually train properly, and it was not out of laziness or anything like that. She’d simply been uninterested.
After all, she’d never cared about being a combatant, nor did she care about Rating Games like Rias, so she focused a lot more on knowledge and politics. This was why Serafall had felt immensely surprised and proud of Sona’s performance during the tournament.
And it confirmed her suspicions; even though Serafall had been born with a mutated clan trait, Sona had also been born with immense potential. Potential that surpassed every Sitri before her. To be able to reach the level of an Ultimate-class devil in just mere months… She was one of a kind.
However, in all honesty, that was the case with many kids in this generation: Rias, Sona, their peerages, and even Emo-chan and Shrublord.
She didn’t know why Sona wanted to train or where this resolve even came from, but Serafall wasn’t going to complain. If her sister wanted to train, then this was a genuine excuse to lay off work for a little while.
“Right…” Sona cleared her throat. “So what should we work on first? I suggest a simple spar. It would help you gauge my power level.”
“Tsk tsk, you’re too eager, Sona-tan. A spar with me? Heh, it’s too early for that.” Serafall responded, proudly puffing her chest and putting her hands on her hips. “We’ll start with something simple. Something basic.”
Sona looked like she wanted to argue, but she relented and sighed reluctantly.
“Well, alright.” She said, crossing her arms. “I supposed that makes sense.”
“Uh-huh. Indeed, it does. So!” Serafall pointed at her little sister. “For your first exercise, I want you to take twenty laps around this courtyard, but with a twist!”
Serafall leaned closer to Sona, creating an ice chain and ball strapped to her waist.
“What is this?” Sona blinked. She then frowned as she struggled to pull the ice construct. “What the— how come it’s so heavy?”
“Hehehe! I’m a master cryomancer, Sona-tan. I can change the weight and mass of my spells on command. I’m not like Emo-chan, who only knows how to put more magic behind her spells.” She explained, throwing her head back with boisterous laughter. “Mwahahaha! I, Magical Girl Serafall-chan, am the superior ice slinger!”
“That’s incredible.” Sona-tan was amazed. “I never knew you could do that. The level of concentration you’d need to do such a thing is unfathomable.”
Serafall shuffled around as a giggle left her, adoring the praise she was receiving from Sona.
“Aw, it’s nothing really. Lots of other masters can do it, too.” Serafall said. “Actually, Sona-tan, if you take those twenty laps in less than ten minutes, I’ll tell you the secret of my ice magic.”
“Secret?” Sona blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Hehehe…” Serafall snickered as she got close to her sister, whispering her next words. “The thing is, my ice magic isn’t really ice magic.”
Her little sister looked puzzled, but before she could ask, Serafall clapped with her hands.
“Chop chop!” She said. “Your ten minutes start now!”
Startled, Sona sprinted across the courtyard with surprising agility. Serafall watched in awe as she navigated the rough ground effortlessly, pulling the heavy ice sphere behind her. Each stride left a trail of ruined grass, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.
“Oooh…” Serafall hissed with a grimace. “Mom isn’t gonna be happy about this…”
She had not thought this through. But it was fine. Their parents would probably understand. After all, this was very important business. Training her little sister, that was. Besides, they were still ‘high’ from Sona winning the tournament, so they’d excuse whatever she did for the next ten years.
Watching Sona continue with her first exercise, Serafall had to admit that she was doing so much better than she had expected. Demonic power was one thing, but to have the stamina and endurance to run around with about five hundred tonnes strapped on her? Someone who barely ever exercised?
Serafall was aware that her little sister had trained during her time in Kuoh with her human friends, but whatever training they’d gone through must’ve been hellish if it made even Sona this capable. High-class or not, before her time on Earth, Sona hadn’t been fit at all.
And in just under 8 minutes, Sona finished her twentieth lap as she gasped in exhaustion, bending her back forward as she caught her breath. She wiped the sweat off her brows as Serafall approached her with a wide grin.
“Wow, Sona-tan has gotten so fit!” She said. “I’m so proud of you!”
For some odd reason, when Sera expected her to smile back and give her an adorable reaction, Sona frowned, a hint of frustration flashing across her face, before she sighed.
“I did it.” She responded, looking at her older sister. “Now, what’s this secret you were speaking of?”
“Oh, um, yeah.” Serafall blinked. She then cleared her throat as her grin returned. “Hehe, watch closely, Sona-tan. I’ll cast a simple spell, and I want you to tell me if you notice anything weird about it.”
As Sona nodded, Serafall used her clan trait to create a small icicle and shot it forward. Her little sister blinked, her frown deepening and turning into one of confusion. Naturally, she hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.
“So?” Serafall asked, knowing the answer already.
“…Do it again, please.”
“Aye, aye.”
Serafall cast another icicle. She used the exact same amount of energy, created the exact same icicle, and shot it in the exact same direction. And once again, Sona didn’t notice anything. However, instead of growing frustrated, her beloved sister only focused more, her gaze sharpening as she spoke again.
“Once more.”
Serafall giggled and did as such, knowing her little sister wouldn’t notice it the third time. This was a technique that only she and the rest of the Satans knew about as the rest of the world misunderstood— the real mutation of her clan trait. It wasn’t just simply ice magic—
“You can control the temperature of your water magic.” Sona suddenly said, her eyes going wide in realization. “You’re not conjuring ice— you’re supercooling your water spells at such an absurd speed that it looks like you’re casting ice magic.”
“Eh?” Serafall blinked in surprise. “Wait, you’ve figured it out?! Just from seeing it?!”
She was shocked. Of course, she knew not to underestimate Sona— her little sister was a genius, after all. But she’d never expected that someone this inexperienced would understand the trick to her mutation clan trait. Was she even more talented than Serafall had initially expected?
And here she was, ready to be all smug as she explained what nearly no one knew and passed her secrets to Sona. Now, Serafall felt very uncool. She was very proud of her little sister, however. She never thought she’d figure it out so quickly.
“Since when you were able to do that? How can you even do that?” Sona questioned. “Changing the mass and weight of your spells is one thing, but controlling the temperature of water magic is on an entirely different level! Doing those two in tandem is impossible!”
“Erm, well— I-I mean, mwahaha! I told you that Magical Girl Serafall-chan is the best~” Sera puffed her chest, getting over her surprise. “But, well, that’s how it works. For me, supercooling my spells came as naturally as breathing ever since I was a little girl. In fact, it’s so natural to me that casting regular water spells becomes really difficult.”
Well, not entirely. While yes, it was much easier for Serafall to supercool her spells compared to most, she still used to struggle a lot with it. It wasn’t until the Civil War that she’d learned how to master it… and subsequently became unable to cast regular water spells without great effort.
At some point, she realized that this process was affected by something else. Something that never aligned with how Demonic Magic functioned. It was closer to Emo-chan’s Shin Youjutsu than anything demonic.
Serafall had seen many of her friends die during the Civil War. She’d seen innumerable needless casualties and countless broken families. The depression Sirzechs went through after the deaths of his students. All of which fueled her fury toward the Old Satans.
Unforgiving, icy fury that froze her spells the instant they were cast.
“I see… So that’s how your mutated clan trait actually works on a fundamental level.” Sona hummed. “That’s very fascinating. But how you implied it just now makes me think you can’t superheat your spells.”
“Oh, no. That’s impossible for me.” Serafall shook her head. “I mean, I can barely cast normal water spells. Superheating them would be like trying to breathe through my eyes or something.”
“So it’s not outright temperature control. Yes, that would line up with what I’ve seen and read.” Sona nodded. “After all, I’ve never seen you cast vapor spells before. Do our parents know, by the way?”
“Nope. They still think it’s ice magic, and I don’t trust those blabbermouths with the knowledge. The less that know about it, the better.” The older sister shrugged. “The only ones that know are my fellow New Satans and, well, you.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” She responded. “Then, can you teach me how you do it?”
“Eeeh, I dunno. Like I said, I could do it so easily because I was born with it.” Serafall clarified while nervously scratching her cheek. “If I wasn’t, I’d doubt I’d be able to, even today.”
“Give me a chance.” Sona insisted with a frown. “You’ve seen what I can do during the tournament. With your guidance, I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“Sona-tan—”
“Please, Serafall.” Her little sister begged, surprising Serafall greatly. “You have to teach me— I need this.”
Serafall hesitated. As talented as her sister was, something like this was way, way beyond her. As she’d told Sona, the only reason Sera had been capable of doing this was due to her mutated clan trait and the nightmare she’d been forced to go through during the Civil War.
While certainly not impossible for Sona to do, it would take her decades of intense training to grasp, much less master. And neither of them had the time.
“Ehe, um, but wouldn’t it be weird?” Serafall chuckled nervously, trying to look for an excuse to say no. “I-I mean, it’d feel like you’re copying Emo-chan, right?”
Sona’s eyes widened as she heard that before a scary scowl took over her face.
“Don’t you DARE compare me to her.” She growled angrily, making Serafall flinch. She then sighed in frustration. “Are you going to teach me or not?”
“O-okay, okay! I’ll try to, anyway.” Sera relented as she backed away a little, slightly intimidated by Sona’s bizarre behavior. She was used to the girl getting annoyed by her antics, but this felt… different. “But because it’s an advanced technique, we’ll have to go over the basics first. Deal?”
Sona took a moment to think this over, clearly not liking the compromise, before reluctantly agreeing.
“Very well.” She said.
“Great!” Serafall nodded, getting back to her cheerful persona. “Alright, how about another twenty laps? Then we can do other exercises like push-ups ‘n stuff.”
Sona sighed again and restarted her exercise, running across the courtyard with the heavy ice ball still attached to her waist. Sera knew agreeing to this had been a bad idea, but she’d admittedly panicked and had no idea how to respond.
Sona’s angry look surprised her. She had never seen her beloved sister make that face before. Had something happened, and Serafall hadn’t noticed? At first, when she’d asked to be trained, Serafall had thought it was because she understood that strength was necessary if she wanted to be respected by devils.
Being high-class wouldn’t be enough anymore, with each generation becoming more powerful than the last. But now, Serafall wasn’t sure that was the case.
At least I bought myself some time to figure something out. She thought to herself, worriedly observing her sister. …I hope she’s feeling okay.
Suddenly, Serafall didn’t find the prospect of training Sona so appealing anymore.
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– Ichiban –
“What about this one?” Akane asked as she turned around, showing him a strapless purple dress she had picked. “What do you think?”
Ichiban, increasingly irritated as he struggled to carry a billion bags in his only two hands, sighed to himself deeply. When they’d woken up today, Ichi had been looking forward to exploring the rest of Honolulu. Yesterday, they’d been too tired to do anything besides having dinner and a little sightseeing.
But before he could even make a suggestion, Akane had quickly dragged them all to the mall, demanding to go on a shopping spree before ‘the good stuff gets sold out.’ Of course, none of them had a say in the matter. If she wanted something, she got it. His girlfriend was spoiled rotten.
Ichi didn’t particularly mind visiting the mall, as he knew she would want to do this at some point during their stay, but for Akane to force him to carry everything she bought? Her, a princess with infinite wealth? Had he been a normal guy, he may have perished.
And even with his super strength, carrying so many things wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a weight issue, of course, but moving around with ten thousand bags in each hand was exhausting. Knowing about her not-inventory only made everything worse because now he was certain she was doing this to test his patience.
It didn’t help that Kiba, Issei, and Koneko had made a speedy exit when she wasn’t paying attention, so he didn’t have anyone to help ease the burden. It was just him as a glorified pack mule while Akane and Asia went into every single store that caught their attention.
“I think it would look good on you.” He answered.
“Of course, it would look good on me, dumbass. Everything looks good on me.” She rolled her eyes with a scoff. “It’s me.”
“Why the hell would you ask for my opinion then?” He scowled. “What do you want me to say?”
The annoying way she acted didn’t make it easy for him. Ichi knew he was playing right into her hands as she loved his disgruntled reactions, but she truly knew his buttons like the back of her hand.
“I don’t know; a little more feedback than ‘it looks nice’ would be a good start.” She shrugged. “Like, yeah, it’s good, but why is it good?”
Ichiban wanted to tell her to stop being so demanding but then sighed and decided to humor her for now. He knew she was just trying to fish for praise, and he thought maybe giving her what she wanted would make her hurry up. Hopefully.
“I think it compliments your eyes.” He said. “Purple pairs well with red.”
“Ooh…” She glanced at her dress before looking at her reflection in a nearby mirror. Akane then giggled to herself. “See? That wasn't so hard now, was it? If anything, I’d say you’re a natural.”
“Why am I even here?” He complained. “You don’t need me following you around everywhere.”
“But if you’re not around, then who will protect me from depraved men trying to pick me up?” She pointed out, giving him a smirk. “You don’t want that to happen, do you?”
Despite her being strong enough to bench-press a literal building, thus able to protect herself just fine, she was still right. He’d hate it if anyone tried to lay a finger on her. Maybe it was the draconic possessiveness Ddraig had once talked about, or maybe this was normal. Honestly, he wasn’t sure. He’d never dated anyone before to be able to recognize this feeling.
And Ichiban had to admit, even though she was probably messing around, he liked being relied on that way, not as a bodyguard but as a boyfriend. Seriously, how did he score her, of all people?
“…I guess you’re right.” He sighed. “Can you hurry up, though? I’m starting to get hungry.”
Before she could respond, Asia skipped toward her with several different outfits in her hands.
“Akane-san, what do you think works better with this?” She asked, raising a white sweater. “I was going to pick the black skirt at first, but the blue jeans look lovely too. I can’t decide.”
“Then don’t.” Akane snorted. “Pick them both.”
“Really?” Asia’s green eyes sparkled in excitement. “Is that okay?”
“Of course it is. Take whatever you want.”
“Thank you so much, Akane-san!” The blond beamed, suddenly going for a hug. “You’re the best!”
While not uncomfortable with sudden physical contact—seemingly used to it from her mother—Akane looked visibly startled for a moment, showing a rare expression that told him she was not sure what to do. But she quickly recovered as she returned the embrace.
“You bet I am~,” Akane said. “You got everything you wanted?”
“Yup!” Asia nodded as she backed off a little. Then, her eyes widened as she remembered something. “Oh, right, I almost forgot to get something for Mizuki-san. Do you know what she likes?”
“Plain T-shirts, mostly.” She responded. “Don’t take too long, alright?”
“Okay.” She nodded.
Watching this strange but adorable scene happening in front of him, Ichiban couldn’t help but smile. There really was something different about the way Akane treated the nun. He’d noticed it a while back, but this just confirmed it.
As Asia walked away, Akane sighed. His girlfriend then noticed his stare, which made her tilt her head.
“What?”
“No, it’s nothing,” Ichi observed Asia looking for a gift for Mizuki. “So, is this the last place? Please tell me it is.”
“Nope.” She giggled. “I was thinking about getting new sneakers, and we did pass by a cool-looking store.”
Ichiban groaned, his shoulders slumping forward.
“It won’t take too long, I promise.”
“You said that in every single store we went into.” He complained. “Please, we’re staying here for a month. We can do the rest of your shopping later. I’m so sick of walking around with these bags.”
“Oh, stop being a baby,” Akane said before pausing. “…Though, I guess you do deserve a reward for putting up with me for this long. Fine, go wait for me on one of the benches outside. I’ll finish up here, and then we can get you something nice. I can order new sneakers online anyway.”
“Hah. Finally.” He sighed. “Freedom.”
Akane giggled again as she playfully shoved him.
With her permission, Ichi left the store and sat on the closest bench he could find, setting the bags aside before breathing a sigh of relief. He truly hoped they wouldn’t go through this again. This shopping spree was enough to last him several lifetimes. He’d never expected Akane to be into fashion this much.
At the very least, she did seem to be enjoying herself a lot.
Ichiban took out his phone, wanting to pass the time. He was sure her promise of not taking long would never be fulfilled, so he might as well entertain himself until they were out of the store.
He kept watch, however, occasionally looking up from the phone’s screen to see if they were done. As expected, Akane was quickly distracted by another dress. Ichiban rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration and exasperation.
Their lunch better be at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
“Ichi.”
“Hm?” He blinked, his attention drawn to the feminine blank tone of Rias’ Rook. “Oh, Koneko. Where have you been?”
The devil girl, wearing a yellow off-shoulder shirt, white skirt, and sandals, stood in front of him, holding two cones of ice cream, one vanilla and one chocolate. He was sure she’d been somewhere with Issei and Kiba, but he couldn’t see them anywhere.
“Taking a walk.” She answered, offering a cone. “Which one do you want?”
“Ah. I like vanilla more.”
Koneko blinked, glanced at the dessert, then back at him.
“Wrong.” She disagreed, giving him the chocolate ice cream.
“Why would you even—” Ichiban stopped himself from making a scene and took the cone. “Thanks.”
“Mhm.”
Koneko then sat next to him, enjoying the soft-served treat in silence. Ichi scanned the mall for the rest of the group again. Had they split up?
“So where’s Issei and Kiba?”
She shrugged.
“How’d you find me so quick?”
“I followed the draconic presence.” She answered.
“Right. Makes sense.” He nodded, scratching his head. “You’re real good at tracking. I was lowering my energy the whole time.”
“You’re too strong. That’s why.” Koneko told him. “Ice Queen, too. But she’s harder to sense. She’s very skilled.”
“That’s a one-in-a-million talent for you.” He responded. To think it had only taken them a few months to reach this level… “So what are you doing here? I’m surprised you didn’t go with the girls. I mean, there’s a lot of stores.”
“I don’t like shopping.” She said before frowning. “…Rias made me hate it. She dragged me to so many stores looking for ‘cute clothes.’ She doesn’t even wear half of the clothes she buys.”
“Right?” He grinned. “It’s like they’re never satisfied.”
“Spoiled princesses with too much money and free time.” She agreed.
“Always expecting you to carry their things,” Ichiban added. “From store to store. For hours.”
“It’s annoying.” She huffed before smiling. “But it’s fine. I like Rias. She’s not the most elegant, always brash and demanding, but she’s very kind, too.”
“She is.” Ichiban agreed, feeling curious. “How’d you meet her?”
Koneko visibly hesitated, making him realize that he may have accidentally asked something personal.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” He quickly added.
“I don’t mind. You’re my friend, too.” She shook her head. Koneko paused for a moment before she spoke again. “A long time ago, I used to be a servant to a devil, the last of the Naberius pillar, with my sister.”
“You have a sister?”
“Her name was Kuroka, and we are Nekoshou.” She nodded. “Because her Senjutsu was strong, she was reincarnated as a devil and trained by our master, but then…”
He waited for her to finish.
“Senjutsu is really dangerous, and if you’re not careful, it can drive you to insanity.” She explained. “And one day, she… lost control and killed our master. I barely escaped from her, but other devils thought I was her accomplice and tried to hunt me down. It was Sirzechs-sama and Rias who saved me back then. They intervened and took me in.”
“I’m so sorry, Koneko. I didn’t know.” He said, offering his condolences. “God, losing so much so quickly… I can’t imagine what you must’ve been through.”
“It’s okay. I’m over it.” She waved it off, showing impressive composure as she smiled at him. “I was never happy back then, but now I have lots of friends like Rias and Ichi.”
“Heh, I’m glad you feel this way.” He responded, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Koneko is my good friend, too.”
For some reason, Koneko flinched and her face slightly reddened at the physical contact, and when Ichiban noticed, he quickly backed off in case he had offended her. Personally, he was used to treating his friends like this, even Akane, before he started dating her. But other women may get the wrong idea.
“Oh, my bad.” He apologized with a sheepish look. “I probably should’ve asked you if you’re okay with that first.”
“No, it’s fine.” She broke eye contact, her voice as toneless as ever. “You just surprised me.”
“R-right…”
For some reason, things became awkward in record time, and Ichi hoped that Akane had finished her shopping spree.
As if the gods had listened to his prayers, once Ichi looked at the store they had last been in, Akane and Asia emerged with several more bags, seemingly satisfied with what they had bought.
“See? Told you it won’t take too long.” She said, after taking more than thirty minutes. “Oh, and Koneko is here too. Where were you?”
“Taking a walk.” She answered. “I saw Ichi here and hung out with him.”
“Did you, now?” Akane’s eyes flickered between her and Ichiban. “Well, think you can do me a favor really quick? Take our bags back to the resort and—”
“No.” She declined with a frown.
“—I’ll treat you to the best restaurants and cafes in Hawaii.”
“Okay.” Koneko’s eyes shone as she stood up, her attitude changing at the mention of food.
The Nekoshou girl took all the bags Ichi was carrying, somehow managed to give Akane a salute, and quickly left the mall running. Even he was impressed with her speed.
“Wait, who’s gonna drive her back to the resort?” He questioned. “Does she have a license?”
Akane looked at him incredulously as Asia blinked in confusion.
“She can fly.” His girlfriend answered.
“Ah, yeah…” He cleared his throat as the blond giggled. “I forgot about that.”
“Dumbass.” Akane snorted. “Okay, Asia. You know where to meet us later, right?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded before walking away. “Have fun, you two.”
“Huh?” Ichiban blinked. Before he could utter another word, Akane grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up from his seat, taking him somewhere. “Wait, where are we going? Don’t tell me you’re not done shopping.”
“What, did you forget already?” She grinned at him cheekily. “I said you deserve a reward, didn’t I?”
Ichiban remained silent. He had no idea what she had in mind, but a part of him was worried. What the hell was she scheming now? Was it another surprise shopping spree? At first, he’d expected his reward to be a nice lunch or something like that, and honestly, he would’ve been fine with it. He was hungry.
But as they went deeper into the mall, Ichi was starting to lose hope. Was she not satisfied? She’d already spent over fifty thousand dollars on fashion alone. Designer brand bullshit from every corner of the mall.
Ichi didn’t pay much attention to where they were going until he noticed the lack of fashion stores and the abundance of electronic stores. Although, he was still confused even as they stopped before the place she wanted to take him.
“Uh…” He frowned in confusion. “A computer shop?”
“Yup.” She nodded before she raised an eyebrow at him. “Why are you looking at me like that? Didn’t you always talk about wanting to build a PC?”
“Eh?” Ichiban blinked. Then his eyes widened. “Waitwaitwait— don’t tell me—”
“Go on.” She smirked. “Pick whatever part you want, and we’ll build it together at the resort.”
“You’re not joking, right?! I can take whatever I want?!” Ichi repeated what she said as he couldn’t believe it. “You’re serious?!”
“It would be too cruel if I wasn’t.” She giggled, seemingly loving his reaction as she pulled him toward the store. “Come on, let’s make you the best PC ever.”
“Hahaha! Holy crap, you’re the best!” He laughed, giving her the biggest grin he could muster. “Thanks a lot, Akane! Seriously!”
But before they could enter, Ichiban stopped, making his girlfriend pause and blink in confusion. She quickly noticed his eager smile turning a little guilty.
“What’s wrong?” She asked. “You were so excited just a second ago. What happened?”
“No, it’s just…” Ichiban hesitated but then decided to tell her anyway. “I feel bad, y’know? You always get me things and treat me well, but I… don’t have anything to give back.”
Akane said nothing.
“I know you think it’s dumb to feel that way, but it really does feel like I’m useless.” He added. “It makes me feel our relationship is one-sided. You always give, and I always take—”
“Ichi.” She cut him off, her cold tone making him straighten his back.
“U-uh, yeah?”
“Why do you think I spoil you so much?” She asked.
“Um—”
“Do you think I treat you that way because I want something back?” She scoffed. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Ichiban blinked as Akane gave him a beautiful, gentle smile—one she barely showed but that would melt his heart every single time.
“I do it because I love you, Ichiban.” She stated. Immediately, Ichiban realized that this was the first time she had actually confessed her feelings to him. “I might demand a lot of things from you, but I don’t really care that much. So stop getting all worked up over nothing, alright? Your stupid face looks best with that dopey grin on it.”
Ichiban couldn’t help but smile back, his face suddenly turning red. Her and her backhanded compliments…
“…I guess I was being an idiot, yeah.” He chuckled. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I like that about you anyway. Being an idiot, that is.” She responded as her signature smirk returned. “But if you so insist on giving me something in return, then all I ever want is your eternal servitude and worship.”
“Of course, my goddess. Whatever you want.” He sighed, playing along with her antics. “Your wish is my command.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear.” Akane nodded in satisfaction, dragging him inside the store. “And as my loyal servant, you deserve only the best of blessings. Come, let’s build you a PC that’ll last you a lifetime.”
Ichiban may actually be the luckiest man in the world.
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– Akane –
I’m sure it doesn’t need to be said, but being filthy rich is awesome. It's fun to burn money without worrying about going broke. Seriously, all of the things I bought at the mall? Yeah, I doubt I’ll even use half of it in this life. I mean, I’ll try. But this shopping spree was never about fashion. It was to flex my wealth—nothing more and nothing less.
And, well, I guess I felt like spoiling Asia a little. Why not, right? Besides, it gave me an excuse to spoil Ichi as well. He’s been talking about saving money to build himself a new computer, and each time I hear him saying that I force him to treat me to expensive desserts under the pretense of ‘testing his loyalty.’
Seeing his annoyed reaction is always really amusing. But so is seeing his childish excitement when I bought him everything he wanted in that store. It was so cute whenever he tried to pick the less expensive parts because he felt embarrassed.
I got him the strongest parts we could find in the store as well as two 4k monitors. Because why not, right? No skin off my back. Though, really, it didn’t matter which parts he picked because I was going to upgrade his stuff with my tech anyway. He’ll be able to play his games on one billion FPS.
Apparently, there’s a lot of enjoyment you can find in spoiling the hell out of your lover. Who knew? I even had him carrying some of the stuff while we walked out of the mall instead of sticking everything in my inventory. I wanted to show everyone we passed by how lucky he was to have me. And also to embarrass him more.
Dating or not, his embarrassment still gives me life.
So when we finished up, we went to have lunch with the rest of the group, then decided to go back to the resort to rest a little bit and put our stuff there. I know, why bother when I have infinite inventory space, but I don’t like cluttering it with useless shit. Seeing it so disorganized pisses me off.
It’s weird, yeah, but it’s just a me thing, I guess.
Ichi really wanted to build his PC right away, but that would take too long—for him, anyway. It would barely take me five minutes, and he was insistent on doing it himself. So I watched him for a little while, occasionally giving him pointers—that is until the sun started to set.
We decided we had rested enough and went back to Honolulu because that’s where most of the fun is. Today, we are going to try out the real fun stuff—not the silly cafes and pointless shopping sprees, but real entertainment.
Half of the reason I even came here.
“This is hardcore,” Issei says as he inspects the forged ID in his hands. “How did you even get this picture of me?”
“Don’t ask me.” I shrug. “This is all Majima’s doing. At my request, of course.”
“And he just listened to you?” Ichiban looks at me incredulously. “Isn’t that really irresponsible? What if the higher-ups know about this?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” I respond with a grin. “What are you so worried about, anyway? Now, we get to do whatever the hell we want without worrying about pesky law enforcement. Bars, casinos— whatever you can think of.”
Even though the latter is apparently outlawed in Hawaii. But I’ve already found several underground casinos after I let the Spyders investigate Honolulu last night.
“That doesn’t sound very wise, Akane-san.” Kiba disagrees. “Is it even necessary to visit those establishments? There’s enough entertainment here, even for people our age.”
“Not very responsible, Ice Queen,” Koneko adds with her usual blank tone, looking at me disapprovingly.
“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes. “You’re just jealous you can’t join us. If you wanna be mad at someone, complain to Rias. You’re not the yakuza’s responsibility so I couldn’t get you IDs even if I wanted to.”
“That’s not the point.” Kiba shakes his head. “We are simply not allowed to do these things in Hawaii. We’re not old enough.”
“Yes, but at the same time, we’re old enough to fight against maniacal warmongers, old enough to be forced to defend against an actual fucking invasion, and old enough to kill.” I scoff. “But for some reason, I can’t drink and gamble? Yeah, right. Maybe I’ll start believing in these arbitrary laws once they make sense.”
My response makes Kiba pause for a few moments before he nods as his polite smile returns.
“I see. Well, it’s not like I can stop you.” He says, giving the catgirl a glance. “Then Koneko and I will be doing something else. Please be careful, everyone. Indulging too much can be dangerous.”
As he walks away, Koneko hesitantly does so as well, giving Ichiban a strange look before following Kiba. Finally, at least he wasn’t annoyingly insistent about this.
“Alright, you three ready?” I look at Asia, Ichiban, and… “Wait, where’s Issei?”
“Oh, he left,” Ichi answered. “He said he wanted to check out all the strip clubs in Honolulu.”
Of course. You can’t train the instincts out of an animal.
“Right, well, it’s just us three, then,” I say, noticing Asia’s hesitant expression as she stares at her forged ID. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I don’t know…” She responds with furrowed brows. “Is this really okay?”
“Oh, it’ll be fine, I promise~” I insist, holding her hand. “Just give it a try. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun.”
“You think so?” Asia is still hesitant. “It feels wrong.”
I mean, that’s kinda why it feels fun. But I don’t think she would appreciate that answer.
“Look, how about we just try it out for a little while?” I say, leading her to the biggest nightclub in the city. “We don’t have to go too crazy today. Just a few light drinks and a couple of hours of messing around. Right, Ichi?”
“U-uh, yeah…” Ichiban nods as he follows us. “A few hours wouldn’t hurt.”
I frown as I notice his hesitation too. What the hell is wrong with everyone today? I mean, yeah, Kiba and Koneko’s reaction, I can understand, but Ichiban too? Since when did he worry about breaking the law?
Whatever. Maybe he’s just nervous. We may have had alcohol before, but I doubt Ichi ever went to a nightclub. And neither have I, to be honest. My mother watches me like a hawk when it comes to these things. It’s annoying.
But now I’m free of her being a total buzzkill.
Asia remains quiet for a while as she’s still very hesitant. We walk through crowds as we head towards the most popular club in Honolulu. I get it; she’s too innocent for these things, so she’s just intimidated.
But she doesn’t have to be. Asia may be vulnerable when she’s alone despite having superhuman strength, but she has me and Ichiban. I’ll beat the shit out of anyone who tries anything funny.
So, really, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure once she gets comfortable, she’ll start having fun too. It’s basically like the other parties she attended in the underworld, except with a lot more strangers. And she may not show it, but Asia is good with strangers.
It’s going to be okay—
Suddenly, Asia stops, making me pause to look at her.
“I can’t, Akane-san.” She shakes her head. “This isn’t right.”
“Asia, I told you it’s gonna be fine.” I insist. “Why won’t you at least give it a try?”
“Because it goes against my moral code, Akane-san. I can’t, in good conscience, break the law for something so vain.” She answers. “And these environments… I don’t feel comfortable in them. I’ve heard many terrible stories about them back in Italy.”
Asia sighs.
“To be honest, I can’t deny that it is a little tempting. I’m always willing to try out new things, and I’ve also heard wonderful stories where people have made lifelong friendships and met their soulmates in these clubs.” She adds. “But it doesn’t change the fact that this is wrong.”
She looks at me and hands me back the forged ID.
“I’m sorry, Akane-san. I know you’re only looking out for me and wish I would have fun on this trip.” Asia says, giving me a smile. “It truly means the world to me. Having someone like you around. A big sister I can always rely on… It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
For some reason, hearing that makes my heart skip a beat.
“If I ever decide to drink alcohol or visit a club, it’ll be when I’m legally allowed to.” She concludes with a bow. “I really hope you understand, Akane-san. I don’t want to offend you when I say this.”
“You say that now, but just a few weeks ago, during the post-finals party, you drank yourself into a coma.” I point out with a scoff.
“You’re right. I let myself be pressured into doing things I don’t want to do.” She nods. “I mustn’t let that happen again, and that’s why I’m declining. I need to learn to be more like you and be assertive for my own sake.”
“Asia—”
“No, Akane-san.” She says firmly. “I’ve made my decision.”
Well, this is annoying. Now she decides to have her own agency? Seriously? When I want her to do something for me?
…I can’t help but feel a little proud, though. At least she’s not a complete pushover anymore. And who cares, really? If she doesn’t want to go, it’s her decision.
“O-of course, I’m not trying to preach to you. You can still do whatever you want to do.” Asia quickly clarifies with a nervous giggle. “I’m only giving my reasons why I can’t.”
“I got it.” I sigh. “Find the devils and hang out with them until we’re done, then. C’mon, Ichi.”
“Er, yeah… about that.” Ichi shuffles awkwardly, quickly looking away as I sharply gaze at him. “I uh… kind of agree with Asia.”
“What?” I look at him with a frown.
“I mean, aren’t you going a bit too far?” He tries to explain himself. “Forging IDs? Really?”
“Oh wow, here comes Mr. Law-Abiding citizen who had never once stolen from the convenience store, had alcohol while underaged, or sent people to the hospital.” I scowl. What a joke. “You’re such a hypocrite.”
“I just think it’s way too over the top, alright?” He says. “Yeah, I’ve broken the law a few times, but this is too much even for me.”
“It’s literally a misdemeanor crime here— it’s on the same level as underaged drinking and petty theft,” I argue. “Why even care?”
Ichiban doesn’t immediately respond, knowing he’s being really weird about this for no reason. Was he moved by Asia’s speech or something? God…
“A-Akane-san, maybe Ichi wants to quit doing bad things?” Asia quips anxiously. “Maybe he feels that now you two are dating, he should try to avoid these things for your sake?”
“Y-yeah.” He blinks before glancing at Asia. “Wait, how do you know that?”
“The thing is, he wasn’t worried about the nightclub,” I deflect with narrowed eyes. “What’s making him uncomfortable is the fake ID.”
“Look, if you really insist, I’ll still come with you anyway.” Ichiban tries to soothe my annoyance. “It’s my job to stay by your side at all times.”
“Forget it.” I scoff. “I didn’t know you were such a coward, Ichi.”
Ungrateful idiots. I give them an opportunity to have as much fun as they possibly could, and they throw it back at my face. Why did I even bother getting them fake IDs anyway? I should’ve only gotten one for myself since they wanna act so goody-goody.
I let out a frustrated sigh as I start to walk away. I don’t know why this is bothering me so much. It’s such a stupid thing to get mad about. I mean, who gives a fuck if they don’t want to come with me? I can have fun all by myself.
“Oi, what’s gotten you so mad? I just said I’m fine coming with,” Ichiban says as he puts a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not fucking okay. I was looking forward to hanging out with you there. What’s the point of you coming with me if you’re just gonna stand there doing nothing?” I slap his hand away and scowl. The nerve of his idiot. “You ruined it for me. What’s with all this moral grandstanding? Where did it even come from?”
“Oh…” He blinks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you felt that way at all.”
“Shut up. Get away from me.” I shove him away, my voice definitely not cracking. “Dick.”
“Aw, come on, if the goal is to hang out, does it really have to be at a nightclub?” He states, giving me his dumbass smile as he puts an arm around my shoulders. “There’s like a billion other things we haven’t checked out yet.”
“Whatever,” I murmur. “I wanna go home now.”
I better get started on my base, anyway. This was pointless.
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Nuh-uh.” He disagrees, nearly making me freeze his dick off before I remember that I need it too. I don’t think a prosthetic is going to feel as good. “I’ll show you that you can have an awesome time without drinking, clubbing, or gambling. C’mon, Asia.”
“I’m right behind you.” She says happily.
Before I can protest, Ichiban holds my hand and drags me with him, and because I don’t want to make a scene in public, I let him do it. Whatever, I don’t fucking care anymore. Let him bring me to wherever he wants.
My day is ruined anyway; I doubt even he can fix it.
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– Asia –
For someone who was admittedly pretty spoiled, Akane was thankfully very easy to entertain.
“I know I told you not to hold back at the start,” Ichiban started as Akane’s bowling ball knocked down all the pins without her looking again. “But I really regret saying that now.”
“You should’ve known, idiot. I’m unbeatable.” She claimed, hands on her hips as she smirked smugly at Ichi. “Besides, why would I ever hold back? It wouldn’t be a proper match if I didn’t face you with my full power.”
Even though she looked so annoyed at first, it didn’t take long for her attitude to switch up once Ichi had taken them to several places around Honolulu. Firework shows, arcades, cafes, and so much more that, eventually, Akane seemed to have completely forgotten all about the nightclubs.
It helped a lot that Ichi had started to show a lot more… loving affection to comfort her, but it admittedly did make Asia feel a little awkward at times. She didn’t really mind it, though. As long as Akane was happy, she was happy too.
When Akane had first offered her the fake ID, Asia had known that she couldn’t let herself be pressured. This went against a lot of her beliefs— breaking the law, recklessly drinking in an environment she didn’t feel comfortable in, and so on.
And it was difficult to do so. Besides the temptations she felt, Akane was the most assertive person she’d ever met. How was she, someone who was so meek and shy, able to compare? Which was precisely why she’d worked up the courage to disagree.
Because there was no one else in this world, she looked up to more than Akane. A girl she’d grown to view as her older sister. She was a woman with such a strong character that Asia admired her heavily. Someone she truly wanted to be like.
Maybe not as violent, arrogant, and brash, but she certainly wanted to be so much more confident and proactive. And if she couldn’t be firm with Akane, then what hopes did Asia have of ever becoming like her?
“You’ve got a strike every single time! You didn’t even need to do that— you’ve already won!” He complained. “I thought you said you didn’t play a lot of bowling?”
“Dumbass. Did you forget that I’m literally perfect?” She replied. “Of course, I’d be unrivaled in everything I do. It’s only natural.”
Asia giggled, finding her theatrics very amusing.
“Aw, man…” Ichi looked worried. “I really don’t want to be the one doing all the laundry for the entire vacation.”
“Then you just have to not be in third place,” Akane said cheekily. “Oh wait~”
Indeed. Somehow, Asia was a few points ahead of Ichiban, even though this was only her second time playing bowling. The strength needed to roll the ball wasn’t an issue; if anything, holding back their supernatural strength was the hard part.
But for some odd reason, Asia was much more precise with her throws than Ichi was, thus scoring more points than him. It didn’t help that he was starting to panic because, as he said, the last place had to do laundry for the rest of the trip.
“Don’t worry, Ichi. You just have to get a strike to beat her.” Akane said. “But if you do… Ah, poor Asia~ Forced to do all the housework even when she’s on vacation~”
“Um, I really don’t mind, Akane-san.” Asia quipped. “It’s okay, Ichi. You don’t have to worry about me. Do your best, okay?”
“You’re too nice.” Ichiban sighed. “Makes me want to throw the match.”
“Are you flirting with other women in front of me?” Akane accused. “And not just any woman, but the one who is practically my little sister. How dare you?”
“S-sister?!” Asia’s face went red at Akane’s sudden acknowledgment. “Y-you really consider me as your sister, Akane-san?!”
“Well, yes, basically.” She blinked. “You live with me, Kaa-san keeps talking about adopting you, and you’re adorable. You fill the little sister role perfectly. Right, Ichiban?”
The feelings were mutual all along? And Mizuki-san was serious about the adoption thing?! Asia didn’t know what to think— they thought she was family too. Did they truly love her as much as she loved them?
Asia felt like she was about to burst from happiness. She knew her faith had not been misplaced. From the painful childhood at the church, then led straight to a loving family she’d only ever dreamed of being part of. The Lord was most kind.
“Why are you asking me? I don’t know.” He looks at Akane weirdly. Then, as he looked at the blond, he paused before answering properly. “…But that’s the impression I’ve been getting recently, I guess.”
“See? Even this idiot thinks so.” Akane said.
“Then is it okay if…” Asia hesitated.
“Is it okay if what?” The yakuza princess raised her eyebrow.
Asia then she shook her head, feeling too embarrassed.
“N-no, it’s really nothing. Nevermind.”
“You can tell me.” Akane insisted. “What do you need?”
“It’s just really embarrassing…”
“It’s fine, I promise I won’t laugh,” she said. “If Ichi laughs, I’ll kick him in the balls.”
“I’m not going to.” He complained with a sigh.
“In fact—” Akane suddenly kicked him in the shin.
“Ow, what the hell?!”
“This is between me and Asia.” She said. “Give us some privacy.”
“Ugh, fine. You didn’t have to kick me…” He grumbled, making some distance between them.
“Better?” The yakuza princess asked.
Asia nodded. She felt more comfortable asking her request now, so she spoke hesitantly, her face growing redder and redder.
“T-this may sound very weird coming from an Italian girl, a-and I’m really sorry if it ends up offending you somehow, but…” She exhaled. “Is it okay if I call you Onee-chan sometimes?”
For some reason, that left Akane reeling as her eyes widened, seemingly never having expected such a simple thing. A flash of hesitation made it on her face before it disappeared, and, for a split moment, Asia thought she’d insulted her with that request, prompting her to take it back.
But before she could explain herself, Akane spoke.
“Yes. " She nodded with an odd smile as she put both hands on Asia’s shoulders. "You can call me that whenever you want.”
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
Asia didn’t know what Akane was so happy about, but she didn’t question it as she beamed at her now older sister happily before embracing her tightly. She’d thought she was pushing her luck there, but perhaps that little hesitation from Akane was just because she was surprised.
Those thoughts quickly washed away as Akane returned the hug, patting her on the head.
“Thank you so much, Onee-chan!”
Feeling immense bliss from being accepted, she didn’t notice that Akane didn’t share her feelings. Not quite.
Had Asia looked up at that moment, she would’ve seen the look of conflict on her older sister’s face.
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– Akane –
Sneaking out of the resort so late at night was as easy as one would expect from me. The hardest part was waiting for Ichiban to sleep because the guy likes to talk way too much during bedtime. Like, he’d start by mentioning bizarre trivia, leading to weirder conversations.
I had to knock him out by fucking him into a mini coma. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to make any progress on my base. He would’ve kept talking until sunrise. Honestly, I do find that really fucking adorable, but I had work to do. I needed him out.
So once I made sure everyone else was asleep, I took my darker outfit and cloaking tech, then left the resort. And since I’m already in Hawaii, reaching Kaho’owale barely took me a few seconds. The funniest thing about this whole situation is the lack of security outside the main islands, from a supernatural perspective, of course. Regular tech would never be able to spot me.
But I digress. Once I made it to the island, I flew around it and found a little cave underneath a cliff. The place where I would start the excavation since, while it’s not hidden enough for me, I don’t want to start digging from the surface. That would be way more noticeable.
So, I brought a few excavation robots I had prepared earlier. After scanning the island and determining where I wanted to start the excavation, I let Nemesis do the rest of the menial work. The great thing about making my base here is that the sea floor is filled with materials.
With my technology, I can make powerful tools that can reach deeper into the sea than normal technology. These tiny drilling bots can probably work at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and survive with minimal damage.
Unless some supernatural monsters are just chilling down there, and nobody knows about them.
“How long do you think it would take them?” Lucifer asks, standing next to me.
“At the rate they’re going and the area they have to dig out…” I hum, looking over everything on the screen projected by my lenses. “About a hundred hours.”
“I see. That’s rather quick.”
“That’s just the first step.” I sigh. “Then I’ll have to smooth out the floors and walls, install lighting and all of my other tools, actually make it look nice, etcetera, etcetera. Overall, it’ll probably take me about a week.”
“That is still very impressive.” Lucy insists. “Considering you’re doing all of this under the noses of the government.”
“Normal humans and governments aren’t impressive.” I disagree.
“I meant those you refer to as the CIA.” He clarifies.
“Ah…” I snort. “Well, I doubt they’re interested in Hawaii, much less this dumb empty island.”
“I suppose.” He rubs his chin in thought. “Hawaii, hmm? What a beautiful-looking island. Nothing could come close to its beauty during my time.”
As he says that, I blink, remembering that I’ve not seen him since we made it to the island. Of course, I know why, but now that I think about it, doesn’t it sound kind of weird?
“Actually, I was wondering.” I glance at Lucy with a raised brow. “How come dematerializing makes Senjutsu users unable to sense you?”
“Ah, I was waiting for you to ask.” He smiles. “It’s simple, really. In this state, my soul is whole and in one place. Naturally, anyone able to use Senjutsu would notice my presence. But when I’m in the… ‘dematerialized’ state, as you put it, my soul scatters into thousands of much smaller pieces, thus making it nearly impossible to even notice.”
“You can do what?” My eyes widen. “How are you still alive? Er, well, relatively. Breaking your own soul at will— wouldn’t you just cease to exist?”
“It is a mystery, isn’t it?” Lucifer responds vaguely with a chuckle. “Soul magic is quite complicated and dangerous. I wouldn’t recommend trying such a thing unless you’ve mastered the arts.”
Yeah, I never considered it. It sounds painful, anyway.
“I have a question of my own if you don’t mind.” He says, making me blink. “That blond girl… You’ve accepted her rather quickly, haven’t you?”
I pause and frown as I’m being reminded of that moment of weakness. But it’s fine; I already know how to deal with this. My decision to treat all of them as simple property is working. I’m feeling less and less annoyed.
“You don’t have to worry,” I tell him. “I know what I’m doing.”
Lucifer only chuckles in response, saying nothing. Though, I can sense his doubt.
Adding Asia to the fold wouldn’t hurt. She may be weak and kind of useless, but she just needs someone to guide her to be useful. She has potential.
Besides, I always wanted a younger sibling when I was a kid.
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