Gaming Badly in DxD

-Zatren Fumigami-

Getting tickets for an amusement park in Kyoto was, to be honest, easier than expected. We got two rooms at a nearby hotel—One for my kids and one for me and my two lovely companions—thanks to Rias’ input.

…The hotel was called Kyoto Sirzechs Hotel, so it makes sense.

No, I was not kidding. What’s worse, there’s another hotel under construction called Kyoto Serafall Hotel.

What’s funnier is that they were attached to the Gremory and Sitri houses, respectively, so there’s a good chance that neither of the two Satans had any input in it, which would be incredibly funny, because I bet Serafall would have my same reaction.

That being: these people could not get any less original if they tried.

But criticizing names aside, the amusement park itself was nothing like what I expected. Rows filled with different stalls, people doing plays in the middle of the street, and there were even some Youkai around that, much to my surprise, played little tricks under the disguise of ‘’magic’’ for anyone willing to watch.

‘’…Fishy.’’ Rei licked her lips. Her red eyes stared intently at a pet fish on a stand, to the point she was making the vendor uncomfortable.

She was dressed in a black kimono with red spiderwebs around the sleeves. Her own little personal touch that was added by Jack’s dexterous hands.

The same wraith that chose a pink kimono with little bubblegum-colored clouds as her choice of wear. ‘’Woahhh… So many masks. Cool!’’ Jack’s green eyes shone with childish wonder as she focused on a variety of mythological masks, especially the ones representing Oni and Kitsune.

‘’…’’ Kuroro stayed in silence, his humanoid hands holding two different brushes as he couldn’t seem to decide between them. He wore a blue kimono with scale-like patterns around random parts of the clothing.

Honestly, getting him to imitate Rei and transform into a sort of humanoid form was the hardest part of this whole endeavor. Hydras tend to, you know… have a lot of heads. Fortunately, it seemed all of the consciousnesses ‘fused’ into the main head at the time of transforming.

His eyes were also hidden from view by his thick and wild black hair, but that didn’t seem to bother the dragon-turned-boy any.

Though he kept smelling things that drew his attention.

‘’Not going to lie, I expected our kids to choose a more childish type of amusement park.’’ I commented as we walked the busy streets. ‘’As in, the ones with the big ferris wheel? Shitty and super expensive food? I don’t know… a water park?’’

‘’Are you complaining?’’ Koneko tilted her head, matching my stride as she held onto my right arm. ‘’They are enjoying it, so…’’

‘’I know, I know.’’ I chuckled, unable to scratch my head thanks to both of my hands being occupied. ‘’It’s just… I want them to enjoy doing kid stuff. With your quick pregnancy and the fact that those three are learning and growing so quickly… How long until they start acting like teenagers?’’

Koneko snorted, but her sister was much more vocal.

‘’Nyahaha! Don’t worry, Kami-kun, I’ll make sure to keep carrying your kitties until you’re satisfied~’’ Kuroka purred while holding my left arm against her bosom. The revealing Kimono and the fact that the woman still refused to wear a bra made the act twice as distracting. ‘’Hmm… No, that doesn’t quite fit. What about Husband-kun, nyah?’’

‘’Keep dreaming, cow-titted sister.’’ Koneko spat, locking eyes with the taller Nekoshou with a scowl on her face.

‘’Oh? Is that a challenge, little Shirone?’’ Kuroka grinned like a cat that caught the canary, her free hand going to her flat tummy. ‘’I still don’t know how many I’m carrying. I may have you beat, meow.’’

Sparks seemed to fly where the catgirl’s eyes met. To the point that anyone curious enough about our odd group immediately scurried off.

Nothing like a woman—Er… mother’s? Scorn, after all.

‘’Speaking of…’’ I cut through the tension before the sisters could get at each other’s throats. ‘’How are the two of you doing? I know it’s coming along swimmingly, but…’’

‘’You’re still a worrywart.’’ Koneko huffed, softly squeezing my arm, a dusting of red on her cheeks. ‘’I’m fine. After the ‘ritual’, I’ve had much more energy. The kitties—‘’

‘’Catfishes.’’ I interrupted with a grin.

‘’The Catfishes are fine.’’ The hidden catgirl huffed, amused.

‘’What a gentle hubby, worrying about me. I need to watch out, or my heart will be stolen~’’ Kuroka teased, prodding both Koneko and me at the same time. However, when her golden eyes found mine, her teasing grin dropped for a more confident, reassuring one. ‘’I’m fine, meow. I am pregnant, but it’s too early to know how many, you k-nyow?’’

Right, Senjutsu bullshit.

‘’Fine, fine, I get it.’’ I chuckled, trying to relax and enjoy the wholesome moment for what it was. ‘’So, what do you guys want to—‘’

‘’Mommy, mommy!’’ Jack dashed with supernatural speed from the stand she was just watching, directly to our side.

Really putting to the test any type of ward we had previously set to make regular people ignore any ‘supernatural’ happenstance, this one.

‘’Yes, dear?’’ I was quickly released from the sister’s embrace as I crouched down. ‘’What is it?’’

‘’Can we… uh…’’ Jack’s excitement suddenly turned to nervousness. Her little smile and bright, hopeful eyes were doing more damage to my heart than any fight I’ve ever gotten in. ‘’Can we get masks? Also… the nice lady said she could tell us a story with a purchase, so…’’

Gosh, I want to pinch her chubby little cheeks!

‘’Of course we can, Jack.’’ I ruffled the girl’s white hair, causing her to giggle. ‘’Now what mask do you want? A dragon? A spider? Ohh… maybe an Oni?’’

‘’A fish one!’’ The little wraith cheered as I took her in my arms and carried her on my shoulder. ‘’So I can be like Mommy!’’

Yup. I regret absolutely zero decisions in my life right now, because any change may have caused me to not have one of my adorable little children.

-X-x-X-

‘’And then, as the fearsome Shuten-Doji thought he was safe in the confines of his home… he celebrated with heavy gulps of Sake, unknowing of the fact that Miramoto no Yomiritsu had poisoned his drink!’’ The old lady explained with a gentle smile. The Oni mask she held in her right hand fell to the floor for dramatic effect. ‘’And the swordsman wasted not a single second to cut his head off, putting an end to the evil king’s reign!’’

I had some reservations about this being a good story for little kids to hear, but considering Jack was a literal assassin who had no qualms about blood whatsoever, I let it slide.

The same wraith clapped with a grin, cheering while hugging her Koi mask with comically wide eyes. Once the little Spirit had tried it on, she preferred to hold it like a plushie since she couldn’t see very well with it.

This was the second story Jack had decided we sat through, and at this point, I was wondering just how real some of these tales were. After all, the Shinto Pantheon exists, as do Oni, Kitsune, and several other Youkai. So, how much of a real threat was Shuten-Doji? Was he a real human or an Oni disguised as one? Did the one who took him down hold a Sacred Gear of some kind?

The answer was more than likely yes, considering how much of an equalizer those artifacts were, but I was getting sidetracked.

As the lady wrapped up her story, I felt something writhe in one of my pockets. With curiosity, my fingers touched a parchment. The one that Izanami had given me, and the one that I used to communicate with the lonely Goddess from time to time.

‘There are some truths and some falsehoods to the woman’s words, but it does not surprise me. Interpretations get changed and become new truths as they pass down through generations.’

Acknowledging the Deity’s words—and being a bit freaked out at the fact she seemed aware enough of my thought process–I replied.

‘You know, there’s bound to be something immoral about a woman sneaking texts to a taken man in the middle of a function while he spends time with his family.’

I tried to hold back my amusement as words were written and quickly scribbled or crossed off the parchment. Evidently, I caught the Goddess of Creation off guard.

‘Do not incriminate my good intentions with thy perverse mind, Abundance!’

‘Oh? We are playing with titles now, Death? What about the phone I told you to get, hm?’

‘…Modern appliances are a difficult bunch.’

‘’Mommy, Mommy…’’ Jack shook my side, making me turn from the paper to the happy wraith. ‘’Your turn, you ask the nice old lady for a story next…’’

‘’Oh?’’ I tilted my head to the side, giving an appreciative smile to the woman. ‘’That won’t be necessary. Besides, it was a story per purchase, right? I don’t want to take much of your time.’’

‘’Not at all, dearie.’’ The lady, dressed in long purple robes, with a hunch on her back and tied-up, greying hair, shook her head. ‘’It’s honestly a rarity to see a young man and his child interested in such old stories. Please, it would be a delight to do another play for this attentive little one!’’

‘’See, Mommy, see?’’ Jack shook my shoulder, green eyes going wide as she gave the cutest, kicked-kitty look that she must have one hundred percent ripped off Koneko. ‘’Pleaaaase…?’’

‘’Fine, fine…’’ I huffed, and a sudden devilish grin appeared on my face. ‘’How about you tell me a tale about the grand Izanami-no-Mikoto?’’

‘What are you planning, Abundance…?’

The woman laughed. With a movement of her hand, countless candles that surrounded her stall flickered. If the trick was done by magic or with mere expertise, I preferred not to know.

‘’Then… let me tell you how and why the grand Creation Goddess chased down her living lover out of Yomi while cursing his existence to hell and back!’’

‘No, no, wait! Anything but! You cannot hear such an embarrassing tale from anyone! The vendor is a liar! Everything she tells is a bold-faced tactic to deceive you!’

Much to the confusion of my daughter, I silently cackled, but her attention was quickly taken by the old woman’s words.

Meanwhile, I had to deal with a pouty, embarrassed Goddess while trying to hear such a tale.

-X-x-X-

I watched in amusement at just how entranced Kuroro was with a play in the middle of the park.

‘’Thee shall fall today, foul dragon!’’ A man said with a confident smile, dressed in armor and pointing a wooden sword at a very well-made, cartoonish prop of a dragon. ‘’No more shall thou steal wealth from our lands, haaaa!’’

‘’Bow down to the might of a real dragon, foolish adventurer!’’ And from the cartoonish construct, a roaring voice echoed, possibly a pre-recorded message. ‘’RAAAAA!’’

Children around looked with rapt attention and excited smiles as the Knight struck the dragon with his blade, even recoiling back as a bunch of red- and orange colored confetti burst out of the dragon’s maw.

Yet, as the noble knight struck the dragon’s neck true, the piece of cardboard fell as the entire structure toppled over. The knight cheered, as did the small crowd of children, as he turned around and raised his dragon-slaying blade into the air in the name of justice.

Truly, six-year-old me would have been all over this.

But that didn’t seem to be the case with Kuroro, as a low whine escaped past his lips, and he clutched my leg with enough strength to hold me in place.

‘’What’s up, champ?’’ I asked, patting his messy head of black hair. ‘’Did you not like the show?’’

Kuroro hesitated, his neck straining as he looked up at me. For a moment, his hair rose high enough that I could see two purple eyes staring right back at me. A small bout of sadness clear in those orbs.

‘’Liked it…’’ He said, his voice a bit raspy, and definitely deeper than a kid his age. It was to be expected, since even Rei, who had a regular upper half in her monster form, still struggled with looking like a ‘normal’ child. ‘’…Wanted the dragon to win… Now his riches… gone.’’

‘’Ah…’’ As realization entered my mind, I chuckled nervously. ‘That… makes a lot of sense, actually.’

I should have guessed, considering that the boy had marveled at every piece of memorabilia that held one of the reptilian powerhouses, be it oriental or western.

‘’Oh, but we can fix that, meow.’’ Suddenly, Kuroro was swiped off the ground by Kuroka, who now had a few cute little hairpins on hand. Including one of a little Chinese dragon that she did not hesitate to clip onto Kuroro’s hair.

The dragon didn’t object, though his nose scrunched up at being picked up like a child, probably something to do with the prideful nature of his species.

‘’What do you mean…?’’ Kuroro asked, tilting his head.

‘’Well, meow. You are a biiig, fearsome dragon, ain’t ya?’’ The Nekoshou cackled, her golden eyes boring deep into my form as a mischievous smile took over her features. ‘’And your Papa is a hero, isn’t he?’’

‘Oh… I see where this is going.’

‘’Defeating… Papa?’’ The boy asked, doubtful. ‘’…Not possible.’’

‘’Not with that attitude, it isn’t, nyahaha!’’ Kuroka hugged the kid close with a big, friendly grin. ‘’But don’t worry, you’ll have Auntie’s help, and with both of our forces, we shall take down the hero and claim all of his riches!’’

The words seemed to give Kuroro a little hope as a big, toothy grin spread across his face. ‘’…Riches~’’

‘Ah… I was wondering when the obsession for treasure would wake up on the little hydra.’ Following along, I put a hand over my chest and looked on with determination, even posing for the occasion. ‘’I shall take your challenge gladly, oh fearsome dragon, but know that I shall not go down without a fight!’’

I was totally going down without a fight.

Kuroro’s mood immediately shot up as he was left back on the ground. With a sharp grin that would scare most kids and even adults away. He hummed while running around.

‘’…You’re surprisingly good with kids,’’ I noted, glancing at Kuroka, who was busy putting a fish hairpin in my hair now. ‘’Also, what’s up with the hairpins?’’

‘’Of course I’m good with kids, nyah. I basically raised little Shirone, and I wanted a lot of kids, did I not make that clear, meow?’’ The girl asked, and I conceded the point. ‘’…And I like hairpins.’’

‘’I can tell.’’ I deadpanned, taking the girl’s hand, causing the cat girl to stop for a moment, and with a mischievous glint, I placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘’Thank you for cheering him up, Kuroka.’’

The catgirl stayed silent with wide, golden eyes. If she didn’t have an illusion on to make her seem like a regular—if extremely beautiful—black-haired girl in a kimono, I bet I would see her ears twitch or her tails puff up.

‘’…Is this falling in love?’’ The girl asked, dropping the cat moniker. ‘’Ah, could it be that this Kami really loves me?’’

‘’…Are you asking that after I made it clear I’ll take care of you and knocked you up?’’ I deadpanned. ‘’Are you an idiot?’’

‘’Can’t a girl get lost on the dok-doki of her own heart, nyah?!’’ Kuroka hissed, a soft shade of pink covering her cheeks as she glared at me before sinking her little teeth into my arm. ‘’I’ll eat you, damn fish god!’’

‘’Try to not break a tooth.’’ I cackled, which only made the pouty catgirl get poutier.

-X-x-X-

‘’Are you sure you’re having fun, Rei?’’ I asked the girl currently resting on top of my head, legs softly dangling from my shoulders.

‘’Indeed, Father.’’ The girl with strange tattoos on her skin nodded, a little hum escaping past her lips as I walked down the stone path. ‘’…Here is fine.’’

I frowned, looking around, noticing the sheer lack of anything that wasn’t bamboo.

It was a little path, not that well-traveled and a bit out of the way. I guessed it had to do with something related to connecting with nature. Relaxing, sure, but I didn’t expect Rei to just want to be around here.

Slowly, I sat down a bit off the trail. The grass and humid ground greeted my fingers as Senjutsu allowed me to truly feel the nature around me. Every little thing, from the bamboo itself to the fertile soil, and the little bugs crawling everywhere.

Rei, unable to feel such a thing, merely left my back and sat on my lap, only to… hug me.

Her little legs were around my hips, and her arms around my chest. With a curious stare, I patted her long locks of black hair while the unexpressive girl merely attached herself to me, a blank stare in those red eyes.

‘’Rei…?’’ I asked, a bit weirded out by the girl’s oddities. ‘’Everything alright?’’

‘’Hm.’’ I felt her nod against my chest, then look up with a hint of curiosity on her otherwise plain expression. ‘’Father… Was I born?’’

I paused.

With squinted eyes, I locked eyes with the girl. ‘’What do you mean?’’

The Arachne was unbothered by my confused tone. ‘’Kuroro and Jack… They aren’t born from Mother. I know that, because Mother is already with child.’’

Oddly perceptive, wasn’t she?

‘’I had dreams, Father.’’ The girl hummed, attaching herself further to my torso. ‘’Of being smaller, clinging to you and… being really, really hungry. And then…’’

I took a deep breath, realizing what the girl implied. ‘’And then exiting a warm, dark place?’’ I prodded. ‘’Seeing me, your mother, and our friends?’’

‘’…Yes.’’ The girl nodded twice against my chest.

‘Now, how do I explain this brand of adoption to Rei? I didn’t even think she wouldn’t retain her memories as a spider… Though it makes sense, considering just how much her brain must have developed when she became an Arachne.’ I sighed, hugging my first daughter close, drawing reassuring gestures on her back with my palm. ‘’Those dreams really happened, Rei. You went from a reaaaally tiny spider to a much bigger one, and then what you are today.’’

Rei didn’t answer, merely looking up, but by the slight furrow of his brow, I knew she was paying attention.

‘’You really liked clinging to me back then. Either on my back or my chest. If I had to guess, it was because you liked the warmth.’’ I explained with a smile. ‘’But… what brought this on? Was it mere curiosity?’’

By her little pause, I could tell that it wasn’t.

‘’I… don’t get it.’’ Rei shook her head, her furrow deepening into the first-ever full expression I’ve seen from the girl. A completely confused frown. ‘’We are not your biological spawn, yes?’’

‘’You aren’t.’’ I confirmed.

‘’Then why take us like we are?’’ Rei tilted her head. ‘’Different species… different brains… Your thoughts are odd, Father.’’

‘’Oh, they definitely are.’’ I chuckled, but it only served to confuse the girl further. ‘’Look, Rei…’’

My body shifted, my back hit against the planted bamboo as the girl let out a monotone hum at the movement, though I could notice a small sense of discomfort at the sudden lack of warmth.

‘’You probably don’t remember this, but you called me Father long before I decided you were my daughter.’’ The admission brought cute, wide eyes from the spider girl. ‘’It just sort of happened. Just like it did with your younger siblings. There’s not really a logical explanation behind it... Say, what do you feel when you’re around your siblings, Mother, or me?’’

Rei hummed for a moment, the little gears turning in her head. ‘’It’s… a pleasant feeling. A strange warmth, but with no heat?’’

‘’Well, that warmth is basically an emotional attachment. In short, your mind—‘’ I tapped her head with a finger, then lowered it to her chest and did the same. ‘’—And your heart like our company, and associated it with something good. You follow?’’

‘’…I guess,’’ Rei grumbled. ‘’It still doesn’t make sense. Not to me, at least.’’

‘’Eh, you have time to make it make sense. You’re still young, little spider. So, just enjoy those moments and try to decipher your feelings at your own pace.’’

Rei nodded, and with the shuffle of clothing, she climbed onto my back once more. I took it as a cue to start moving again, holding her dangling legs for extra support as I got up and kept walking down the path.

‘’Father…?’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’What if it never makes sense?’’ She asked.

‘’Then it doesn’t.’’ I shrugged. ‘’And we learn to enjoy it anyway. Move on. That sort of thing.’’

…

‘’Father?’’ The girl prodded again.

‘’Yes, Rei?’’ I asked.

Only to feel a pair of arms hug my forehead in an awkward but still heartfelt gesture.

‘’Rei enjoys Father’s company.’’ The girl stated, almost shyly.

‘’Aww…’’ I chuckled, patting her right leg. ‘’Father enjoys your company, too, little spider. And if you ever feel the need to talk about this again? Know that Mother and Father are always there.’’

‘’Thank you, Father.’’

‘’You’re welcome, Daughter.’’

Well, Rei may not have the same childish outlook as her siblings, even if she did show plenty of childish attitudes, and this talk certainly caught me off guard…

But something like this was fine too, in my opinion.

-X-x-X-

‘’Gabriel above, those rascals.’’ I chuckled, taking a seat on a nearby bench as it was Koneko’s turn to amuse the little ones. ‘’Don’t go too hard on your mom, kids!’’

Of course, my words went somewhat ignored as the little ones proceeded to use the white-haired Nekoshou as a climbing pole. Not like Koneko seemed to mind, as she just accepted her role while making sure the kids didn’t fall off her.

‘I admit, it is pretty funny to see.’ After all, Koneko was a petite girl. And three kids were way too many kids to juggle.

Not like it affected her any, considering the girl could easily bench press a building if the structure didn’t fall apart due to instability.

And what was Kuroka doing instead of helping Koneko?

‘’Say miiiilk, nyahaha~’’ She was taking pictures, of course.

’Well… At least they had a good time.’ I sighed, a pleasant feeling worming its way into my chest. ’I’m going to have to ask Kuroka for those pics later—‘

‘’Excuse me?’’ I paused my musings as a woman’s voice reached my ears. It was a gentle, warm tone. ‘’Is this seat taken?’’

A simple glance around revealed that this was not the only empty bench around. So, while it was a bit odd, I just waved off the woman. ‘’Sure, knock yourself out—‘’ And then I turned to look at her.

‘’Oh, thank you. The little ones making you walk around all day… what a tiresome but rewarding effort, isn’t it?’’ The woman’s warm, yellow gaze connected with mine. A soft smile bloomed on her face as she took a seat.

Her hair was as blonde as her gaze, with a ponytail that reached all the way to her legs. Her attire consisted of a yellow and black kimono, which did nothing to hide her luscious curves. If anything, the amount of cleavage and how she crossed her legs as she sat down just enhanced her sensuality further.

‘’My… such a gaze could even make someone as old as me blush, Dear.’’

Did I forget to mention she was taller than me, even while sitting down? Why did this world need so many buxom beauties?

I blinked, tearing my gaze away from the woman’s ’assets’ and focusing on her face. ‘’My apologies. It seems your beauty entranced me for a moment there.’’

The woman covered her mouth with a sleeve-covered palm as she giggled, a movement that caused her breasts to move up and down softly, and I had to do my absolute best to not focus on those creamy globes that dwarfed even Rias’ breasts. ‘’Such a sweet-talker… Are you sure you should be saying those things with your partner so close by?’’

‘’My, since when can one only appreciate a single type of flower?’’ I asked in turn with a gentle smile. ‘’If the world has given us so many of something so beautiful, won’t it be a cruelty to be able to gaze at only one?’’

‘’A cruelty indeed.’’ The woman nodded with a knowing grin.

And I wasn’t flattering this random woman just because, even if any of my partners would, without a shadow of a doubt, tell you that’s something I would do. This woman, while gorgeous on her own right, had an air of beauty that I had grown accustomed to these past few months.

Supernatural beauty. Something that almost every race besides common humans seems to have. It was like the world itself erased common imperfections on a whim.

Now, a tall woman with blonde hair and yellow eyes, with an amazing figure that’s just the picture of effortless sensuality. In the middle of Kyoto? Alone?

It makes a man doubt.

‘’So, which one is yours?’’ I asked the woman. After all, there were plenty of kids in this makeshift park.

‘’The little one with the wild mane of blonde hair. I’ve told that girl many times to comb it properly, but she doesn’t even let her mama do it anymore.’’ The woman preened as she described her own daughter. A girl not much taller than Rei dressed in a traditional miko outfit, with a pair of geta serving as footwear. She was currently entertained by one of the stands, buying sweets. ‘’What about you, little sweet-talker?’’

I grinned. ‘’The three currently using my partner, as you pointed out, like a climbing pole.’’

‘’Fufufu… the poor little mother~’’ The blonde teased with a sharp glint in her eye.

‘’Hey, I’m the one who pampered them through the day.’’ I pouted, crossing my arms like a disheartened child. ‘’Don’t I deserve recognition as the father? Hmph!’’

‘’My sincerest apologies. Good job out there, Papa-san~’’ I felt she was not sorry at all, if her shaking shoulders were any indication.

Yet as our shared laugh settled down, I felt the air get heavy with tension. Her blonde eyes locked with mine. Clear recognition in both of us.

After all, there was only so much magical presence you could hide when faced with a being capable of looking around and messing with the Soul Arts.

‘’…May I assume that your visit is merely recreational, Kami-sama?’’ The woman asked respectfully, one of her sleeves covering her mouth, even if her eyes were sharp as knives.

‘’You assume well. I do not hold any ill intent around here. If anything, I wish to learn, and depending on what I hear, lend a hand.’’ I smiled, tilting my head to the side with curiosity. ‘’Is being a Samaritan a crime now, Lady Kitsune?’’

Our postures were tense as sparks clashed where our eyes met. Yet, after an entire minute, the hidden Youkai was the first to relax with a sigh of relief.

‘’My apologies, it was rude to state such a thing.’’ The woman giggled, exuding a warm, motherly aura that wasn’t there before. ‘’It’s only… You carry the scent of death around like a lingering perfume, you see. Enough to put a shrine lady such as me on edge, Kami-sama.’’

‘Scent of Death…? I didn’t know Izanami had left a mark on me.’ I waved off the woman’s apology. ‘’It’s alright. You’re here with your child, and I am in your territory. I, too, would be a bit defensive in your shoes.’’

‘’Oh?’’ She tilted her head, a spark of interest in her eye. ‘’You can tell with a mere glance?’’

‘’Well, it was a bit hard to discern, but it’s like every source of spirituality around is just connected to you.’’ I pointed out with a proud smile. ‘’At the least, you’re someone pretty strong, but you kind of confirmed my words just now.’’

‘’So I did.’’ She admitted without a falter in her grin, extending her hand. ‘’I feel like our introductions were more than a bit lacking. A pleasure to meet you, Kami-sama. My name is Yasaka.’’

With a grin, I took her hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles, which caused the older woman to put a hand on her face as she chuckled. ‘’And my name is Zatren Fumigami. It’s also a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman, Lady Kitsune.’’

‘’Ara… Such a silver tongue can get you in trouble, you know? Even the most beautiful of flowers can have thorns, and I’m no exception…~’’ The woman’s voice turned into a low purr as she closed the distance. The action caused her breasts to fill my view as her expression turned mischievous. ‘’In fact, it seems I got you into trouble right now. My sincerest apologies, Zatren-kun.’’

I blinked. ‘What does she mean—?’

‘’So, while I take care of our kids, you just try to seduce other women, huh?’’ Slowly, I turned my head as I felt a pair of eyes bore a hole through my head. With a nervous smile, I came face to face with a cross-armed Koneko currently staring at me like I was— ‘’Scum-senpai.’’

Idly, I noticed that the kids were now bothering Kuroka instead, who took it as a challenge to try to entertain the three at the same time.

‘’I, uhh…’’ I chuckled, scratching the back of my head while trying to ignore the harmonious chuckle of the woman at my side. ‘’Have I told you just how beautiful you look today, Koneko?’’

‘’Lame ass line.’’ The mother of my children scoffed, eyes narrowing further.

‘’…I have chocolate chip cookies?’’ I tried instead.

‘’…’’ It seemed the girl considered it for a moment, but her resolution only fortified as her glare intensified. ‘’No.’’

Alright. That’s two strikes. One more and I think I will be sleeping on the couch today.

‘Think, Zatren, think!’ I thought in panic, until suddenly a stroke of genius reached my brain. ‘…I was saving it for later today anyway, so why not?’

From my Inventory, I took a little black box. Koneko’s eyes immediately became laser-focused on it. And I slowly opened it to reveal a green ring with a topaz gem right in the middle, a color that reminded me of Koneko’s eyes.

It was a bitch and a half to craft using Blacksmith, mostly because I tried using magic on it multiple times to make it extra special.

It had an abundant reservoir of magic power that whoever wore it could tap into to deploy a barrier made with my own calculations and Barrier Magic.

Not only that, but it was imprinted on whoever put it on, meaning that it was Koneko’s, and Koneko’s alone, and since I did not half-ass shit, the ring itself was made with Chlorophyte bars to not only recharge with sunlight, but also hold a stupid amount of magic inside them.

How stupid? Well, I could easily empty my MP bar twice over to take one of these from zero to full.

‘’Ta-da…’’ I chuckled, noticing how Koneko’s eyes had widened in shock. Anger completely forgotten as she could not stop staring at the piece of jewelry. ‘’I, uh… did not know if you wanted a ceremony or not, considering your lack of interest in big events, but I was already taking my sweet time to ask, right?’’

Absolute silence was my only answer. Even the sweet giggles of Yasaka had stopped, probably dumbfounded at my bold actions.

‘…I don’t know if this means I’m safe or not.’ I felt a bead of sweat fall down the back of my head.

‘’Um… Koneko—Holy shit!’’ I was then jumped, in the middle of a public park, by my first lover and mother of my children. Her golden eyes stared at me as one would stare at a juicy piece of steak. ‘’Wait, Koneko! Your ears and tails are showing—No, screw that, this is a public space, dammit!’’

‘’You’re going to put another litter inside me right now, Senpai.’’ The catgirl stated as she wrestled me out of the bench and onto the ground.

‘’Koneko?!’’ I sputtered, shocked.

‘’Ara, ara… I have forgotten how bold young love was, fufufu~’’ Yasaka commented while hiding her foxish grin.

‘Don’t antagonize me, woman!’ I cursed mentally as I was finally pinned to the ground by the catgirl.

Koneko paused, her plain expression gaining a tiny grin as she took the ring from my hands, put it on her left hand’s ring finger, and immediately set a teleportation circle below us.

‘’Uh… mercy?’’ I tried sheepishly.

Koneko’s eyes glinted under the sunlight, and I could even see little hearts forming on them.

‘’No.’’

Without so much as a warning, we were whisked away by the magic circle, leaving Kuroka to deal with the children as my pelvis suffered divine retribution for my transgressions.

Well, it definitely beat sleeping on the couch.

-X-x-X-

-Bonus Scene: Family Ties-

-Ayuka Beelzebub-

‘’What are you working on, Ayuuuu-chaaan…’’ Serafall asked, kicking her legs back and forth in the air as she rested on a couch in the middle of my lab. ‘’You’re so focused on those papers… Weren’t you going to take a break?’’

Of course, the couch had been brought by Serafall herself, because I would normally not allow such materials in my lab.

‘’Just checking over some documents, Serafall.’’ I sighed, softly stretching, a movement that made Serafall lock her eyes onto the moving flesh of my chest. ‘’I need to get them to Sirzechs before his sister’s Rating Game. It has to do with the Heir of Astaroth.’’

‘’Your cousin?’’ The black-haired woman asked, stopping and sitting down properly. ‘’What’s up with him?’’

‘’Oh. He’s under suspicion for inadequate conduct over his peerage, and instigation between the Catholic Church and the Devils.’’ I explained calmly, causing the petite girl’s eyes to shoot up in surprise. ‘’It has to do with his… particularity of recruiting excommunicated nuns. My student has led me to believe he has a hand in the excommunication himself, as he got some… gruesome information with the Gremory Heiress’s second Bishop.’’

Searall raised a hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath as her pink eyes locked onto mine with expected seriousness. ‘’And you were going to tell me this… when, exactly?’’

‘’I just did, didn’t I?’’ I asked. ‘’Besides, we couldn’t make a case without all the information. I’ve known this for a while, but you know how the masses get without conclusive, hard data. Also, are you not the Satan of Foreign Affairs? This is more of a job for Sirzechs…’’

‘’It’s a job for whoever has the time!’’ The girl whined, huffing loudly before calming down, relaxing on the seat once more. ‘’So… I doubt that’s all you’re concerned about. Otherwise, you should have been able to finish that a long time ago.’’

Indeed, years of friendship with the woman meant that she knew something so… Hm, not small… trouble-free? Could not need my attention for long.

‘’During his fight with Diodora, Zatren noticed something strange,’’ I explained, throwing one of the photos directly at Serafall, who caught it without even looking.

And immediately, her eyes widened. ‘’Is this…?’’

‘’Indeed.’’

In the picture, there was a photo captured during the God and the Devil’s confrontation. Just as Diodora raised his hand, red marks had appeared on his hand, and a serpentine-like shape had exited his sleeve.

‘’One of Ophis’s Snakes.’’ Serafall’s nose scrunched up. ‘’Like the one inside Katarea’s stomach. Does this mean what I think it does?’’

‘’Diodora Astaroth may be in cahoots with the Old Satans, yes,’’ I confirmed. ‘’And you know what sort of scandal can be born out of it.’’

‘’Boy, do I…’’ Serafall sighed, throwing the photo back and raising a curious eyebrow. ‘’So, the plan is to get him to confess during the Rating Game with Za-kun’s help?’’

‘’Pretty much.’’ I chuckled, arranging all the papers in a neat and tidy folder with a gesture of my finger. ‘’The problem would be to decide on a new head for the Astaroth House, haa…’’

‘’Oh? Not a single worry that your student may lose, hm?’’ The woman asked, knowing very well that the result was merely not possible.

‘’He’d win.’’ I shrugged. ‘’How he does it, I leave to the machinations of his own mind. He tends to make amusing shows out of the most serious of things… On a more important note, however.’’

The doors of my lab closed with a click, causing Serafall to still. Suddenly, the entire room became devoid of energies of any kind. Neither Demonic nor Divine could act in this space now.

‘’Um… Ayu-chan?’’ The Satan turned her head with a wobbly, sheepish smile. ‘’What’s this all about? Wait, are you angry? What did I do?!’’

‘’…You think you hold the right to seduce my student, even after your little pep talk in that dungeon?’’ I grinned as a dreadful realization fell on the woman’s expression. ‘’My, oh, my… why don’t we have a little spar like in old times, friend of mine?’’

‘’W-wait! He’s the one who wanted to! Wait, wait, wait, waitwaitwait! Let me use Demonic Power at least! HAVE MERCYYYYYYYY!’’

No such thing would be provided.

-X-x-X-

.

.

.

Author's Note:

The fluff in this chapter is enough to give a diabetic man a heart-attack and send him to wholesome heaven (or hell) twice over. Enough said.

I also publish on other sites, if you wish to check them out:

FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/15809388/HamsterX42

QQ: https://forum.questionablequesting.com/search/35199387/?c[users]=HamsterX42&o=date

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HamsterX42

Discord Link: .gg/92Yt5wxeWN