Difficult Decision

A/N: Not as fast as the last one but still, eat that you readers!

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Despite himself, Julian felt awkward as he dumped the three unconscious girls on his bed.

His bed was big, but it was at the limit of what his room could contain. It would be preferable to move out soon. He had the money, devils noble were filthy rich after all. And they seemed to be crazy about his paintings.

If only girls could stop dropping cold on him also, that would be appreciated.

Sitting on a chair, he opted to meditate and see the difference with his new wings.

As threads of mana were engulfed by his wings. Julian was pleased to see that the mana was synthetized directly into EC. Working on growing his reserves of magic by the proxy of this costly energy.

(A/N: Don't know If I ever said it or if it even needed to be said. But just to be sure... Julian has three magicals reserve in total, demonic, holy and EC. These three pools together are his total of mana.)

The volume of orange magic created by the wings each seconds was way less than for its demonic and holy counterpart. But since the raw ratio of conversion was still 100:1, the improvement was still huge.

Roughly around a dozen time, and this was before he sped his time up. Wait, he couldn't speed himself up as the mana he gathered was to enlarge his reserve, so depleting it during the act would slow him down instead.

All in all, this was still pretty good. Because no matter how much more effort there was between getting from High-Class to Ultimate and Ultimate-class and Satan-Class. He couldn't see himself staying more than a month or two in it.

Also, even if he didn't know where he exactly he was placed in the ranking of Ultimate-Class. There was something he was sure off. It was that if he fought Riser right now, he would squash him with his pinky toe.

—————

"One hour, huh. Not too bad." Noticing the girls waking up, Julian opened his eyes.

"So, how do you guys feel? Anything different?" After waiting for them to get back their bearing, he asked.

"I feel great! In fact, I never felt bet - ugh?" Beggining happily, Mittelt gulped back her words as she took sight of Julian and more importantly, his wings.

"Oh yeah, long story short. I'm a devil, and an angel too. But more than that, I'm the perfect combination of both genes, so really. I'm what's called a Nephalem, two opposites, perfectly melded together in a body to form something more. And now, you girls are a lesser version of that. If all went well at least. So, any question?" Julian opened his arms in askance.

Receiving none other than the question marks blatandly written on their face. Julian nodded. "Good, if what I can sense from your aura is correct. You all should be about High-Class strength and able to use both demonic and holy power. More importantly, and this something I can't confirm for now. Your talent in your speciality should have been enhanced substantially. So for you..."

Julian hesitated, they were all grunts before who used spears of light to stab their enemy to death. Maybe that was it? "I'm not sure, but potentially holy magic and spearmanship."

Kalawarner brought a hand to her head, as if she was having a headache. "Wait, so if I understand well. We can now every power of the biblical faction and even had our very talent somehow improved?"

Julian nodded. "Should be. I wasn't kidding when I said you would get power you would have never wield."

Raynare eyes were fervants. "This is..."

"Awesome/Insane" Mittelt and Kalawarner both finished Raynare sentence with different attitudes.

"A miracle." Raynare rectified the other two.

Standing up, Julian ignored them. "You can change your current pair of wings at will. From angel, devil and even fallen angels. Very useful to thread between the biblical factions. If your face is not recognised of course."

Meaningfully, Julian eyed the three of them. "From now on and for one week, we'll have a training session in the morning. After that, I have a mission for you. An infiltration one. I need you to spy on a certain terrorist organization. I can forge you a suitable new identity since my father is a big shot. This is both something I need, and a test. Because I don't want weak and idle pawns."

While they were startled, Raynare wasn't new to acting and infiltration mission, so she calmly asked. "Can we know the name of the group?"

"Yes, a certain Khaos brigade. Powerful bunch. I also have some intel I need to give you so you don't simply die on me." Julian said.

"But before we get to it, there's some ground rule I want to put in place. No wanton killing or torturing the innocent while on the field, unless it's an order. No theft, and no destruction of propriety. Well, you could, but you'd pay the damage out of your pocket."

Hearing him, Kalawarner snorted. "What are we to you? Savages?"

Julian pursed his lips. "I'm saying this, because that's exactly the kind of things you did in the past. So around two months ago."

At that, Kalawarner coughed. "Fair enough."

Gazing at the three of them, Julian hesitated before speaking out. "It's totally unrelated to the current topic. But I got a girlfriend now..."

...

"Ah! So that's why the door was locked last couple of nights." Understanding flashed on Mittelt's face.

While Kalawarner became awkward because of her earlier words and Mittelt faked aloof attitude toward the news. Raynare looked devastated.

With big, teary eyes. She asked. "Is that the reason you're sending us away?"

Feeling the slightest pang of guilt, Julian answered truthfully. "Not really. But it's true that'll be easier on me if you were away. In any case, continuing our previous nightly activities is innapropriate. You can try talking to her, she's aware of you. But I can't promise anything."

Telling that, he would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling bad for them. What they did before was irrelevent in the end. They still were there before Koneko. Even more now that they were his subordinate and not simple servants.

He closed his eyes and put pinched his glabella. What an headache. Maybe he should just be radical and draw the line for Koneko? It wouldn't be hard.

But there was a problem with that, it was not accounting for his promise with Kass and Emilia. And the possibility that they left each other? He was immortal after all. Would he have to go to the next girl interested like Sona or Akeno one after the other? The very thought made him extremelly uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, it was how it worked normally.

He relaxed and felt stupid as he remember where he was. He was in DxD. Surely there was a way to make everyone happy...

He laughed bitterly in his mind. In the end it came to this: like every other harem protagonist, he would need to be shameless and go with the flow of thing. Or stir it up in the right direction?

Fortunately, that were all easy things for him.

As long as nobody was hurt, it was fine.

Opening his eyes, he decided that it was better to take things slow for now. "Listen, I'll put a good word in for you with her. I'll also allow you to guiltrip her with how much of an asshole I was to you three and that I didn't even give you a chance. Whatever is your intention for me, go for it through her. Either way, I'm fine with both results."

Seeing the eyes of the three lit up with hope, ones more subtle than other. Julian sighed in his mind. Though a small smile still rose on bis lips.

'The woes of being too handsome that even people you traumatized fall for you. Or maybe that's just stockholm syndrome. Seems damn likely for those three now that I think about it.' Thinking that, Julian shrugged. They were stuck with him so they'll come out of it, eventually.

Saying one last thing to nis new pawns. Julian made for the door. "You can familiarise yourself with your power for now. I have things to deal with."

—————

The next day, Julian received the ORC in his house as a sort of mini celebration and to know each other more out of training.

His parents were the social sort so they easily made a good impression on the group. Jacob and Kassidy were just a bit surprised that Julian had never invited the group or the individual to their house before.

Even if he wasn't part of Rias' peerages, at this point he really could be said to be an honorary member of the club.

Maybe it was something universal to parents, but Julian's took every opportunity to embarass him. Even if in their mind, they meant well.

The thing was, that somewhere during them hanging out in his room, they casually dropped his child years picture books on Koneko laps. Definitely the one who was most interested in it.

If his almost perfect memory didn't fail him, Issei's parents had done something similar in the same situation. So maybe this was not just a parents' thing, but more so a japanese one. After all, his parents took very well to the culture.

—————

~The present moment

"So adorable!"

"Little naked Julian~ He looks so pure and fragile, I just want to cuddle him."

"I know right!"

...

Julian could do nothing else but stare as Rias, Asia and Akeno gushed over his young self.

Throwing a look at Koneko in hope of support, he did a double take. "Toutou, are you okay?"

(A/N: Koneko Toujou= Toutou, his nickmame for her if you didn't get it. Also doggy in french so very fitting indeed.)

She looked as if she was fighting against something, looking intensely through one of his picture book. A bit of sweat on her brows.

Taken aback, Julian carefully took the book from her hands. "I think that's enough for you, eh?"

Not protesting against him, she instead simply joined the other girls.

Speechless, Julian stood there with the book in his hands. Deciding to peruse to not look to anwkward, he paused and rubbed his jaw in appreciation.

"I do have to admit that I'm very adorable. A bit too much really."

Hearing a guy laughs, Julian turned to the culprit.

It was Issei laughing his ass off as he had witnessed his entire interaction with his girlfriend.

His face darkening, Julian reached for his sleeve. Retrieving a big book from it. He smiled darkly. "You find all of this funny eh? Why don't we look a bit through your childhood memories."

Issei abruptly stopped laughing, his eyes bulging in surprise. "What the heck! Why do you have my picture book!?"

Julian chuckled. "My parents always kept a copy."

Lifting his hands, Issei pleaded. "Listen, let's not-"

"I'm an advocant of balance in all things, you see. So let's." Cutting him off, he showed the book to Asia and told her about it. She promptly took it from his hands with stary eyes and started to looks through it.

A bit recluse from the other and checking some normal family pictures, Kiba sighed wistfully at their banters and the situation. "Should be nice to have a family."

Catching sight of a particular picture, Kiba frowned. "Hey, Julian. Can I have some context for this picture? I recognise Issei, but who's the other boy?"

(A/N: Picture in the paragraph above. Just mentally add brat Julian to it.)

Hearing him, Julian's eyes flashed as he came closer. Issei already checking the picture in question.

"Oh, him? That was the boy me and Julian used to hang out with when we were young. What was his name again? Irani? No, shouldn't be. I'm sure it begin with I though. What about you, do you remember?

Not needing to check the picture to know who they were talking about, Julian still threw a glance.

"It's Irina." Shaking his head, Julian corrected Issei.

"Oh yeah, that was his name. And I'm pretty sure the church we're in that picture was where he lived."

Not mentioning the conversation they had after her departure he remembered clearly, Julian stayed silent. Simply looking passively as Kiba nodded and tapped the sword present in the background.

"Do you have any impression of that sword?"

"Mmh, not really. It was always there eating dust for as far as I remember."

"I always felt a big amount of holy power emanate from it. That should be a sacred sword, right?" Julian asked Kiba for confirmation, even though he didn't need it.

A bit of surprise appearing on his face, Kiba nodded grimly after recovering. "You're right. It's indeed a sacred sword."

Before Issei could even ask the question hanging on his lips, Kiba snapped the book shut and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I think I'll leave it at that for today."

"What? What's the matter? Are you alright?" Issei was confused by the radical change of attitude of Kiba.

"Yeah, a very bad tummy ache just caught up to me. If you'll excuse me." Smiling wrily, Kiba told to both Rias and Julian.

While Rias wanted to ask questions, Julian retrieved the book Kiba was previously looking through and shook his head. "It's okay, if you're not feeling well. Can't really do anything about it. I'll accompany you to the door."

"That's not neccessary, thank you." Leaving it at that, Kiba left.

"Tummy ache? Do devils even have tummy aches?" Issei muttered.

"Nah, they don't. And that make his insult against my father's cooking even more outrageous." Julian joked and lightened the somewhat somber mood that was caused by Kiba's departure.

Secretly looking at where Kiba left, Julian rolled his eyes before stopping midway as he thought. 'He just had to almost ruin the mood like that uh? And here I was thinking he was a gentleman. Oh wait, he didn't do that in the canon did he? So that's because of me in some way? Whatever.'

Glancing at Issei, Julian was reminded of the subject they just talked about. Irina, she should be coming back very soon to Japan.

Thinking about the time passing, Julian felt pressure concerning his promise to his father.

He had to gather sparks of Impossibility, and they wouldn't gather by themselves. Not only that, but Impossibility would be his most incredible power if he could harness it. It was also related to his favor with Kass.

An otherworldy trip was due soon.

Just as he thought about that, he received a very ominous message from his favorite Goddess of death.