17 DxD: Recruitment Week 6.5

After lunch, Rias and Akeno sat down in her office to talk strategy.

"He called your bluff," Akeno said, a teasing grin on her face.

Rias sighed. "He did. He wasn't pressured into joining at all to 'protect' her. He didn't even protest. I thought he would be more against it, considering how stubborn he's being."

"I think we miscalculated," Akeno commented with a small look of regret. "He never had anything against Devils or being one, he's just free-spirited. We did too good of a job selling him on the idea of being a Devil though, and Hyoudou being turned into one is a good thing in his eyes, even if it means she has split loyalties."

Rias frowned. "Do you think that will be an issue for us?"

Akeno's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe. It could be of course, but that's the case for any peerage that has a member in a relationship with someone outside of that peerage. If things go poorly, it could get messy. But Axton is level-headed and has been on good terms with us so far, so realistically it might not be an issue."

"Hopefully that will be the case," Rias said. "It's a shame he didn't know anything more about Atsuko's Sacred Gear."

"That's to be expected though when he didn't even know about Sacred Gears at all until that business with those pests," Akeno reasoned.

"I know," Rias admitted. "I'm just nervous. Hyoudou's magic is so weak, and if her Sacred Gear isn't very good, it might not be enough to beat Riser in a rating game. Especially with so little time."

"How much time do we have?" Akeno asked.

"Not long," Rias answered. "I can't say exactly how long, but he's getting very pushy. He's under the impression that if he gives me too much time, I'll find a way to slip out of the contract."

"Well, he's right in thinking that," Akeno pointed out. Rias gave her Queen a dirty look, and Akeno sighed. "So are we still going to be working on Axton?"

"I think we should, yes," Rias said. "I wasn't lying when I said I'd love to have him in my peerage, even without the rating game. And I don't think our chances of convincing him are very high, but we can keep trying. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with him on my side."

"Mmm, he is very comfy," Akeno mused with a smirk. "I'll have to step up my efforts."

Rias frowned. "Akeno...please don't do anything you'll regret if he doesn't join. I appreciate that you're willing to go this far, but it's not worth selling you out."

Akeno smiled fondly at her oldest friend and King. "Don't worry Rias. I won't do anything I won't enjoy. You just give me a chance and he'll be putty in my hands."

Rias sighed, still unsure, but she began to think. Soon, she came up with a plan. "You know that water park just outside of town? They're usually closed this time of year, but I can get it opened just for us. We'll call it a celebration for Atsuko joining us. That should be all the chance you need, right? What better than getting him alone in a bikini?"

Akeno grinned. "Oh, that is very good. You've come so far in your journey of learning the art of seduction."

Rias blushed and looked away. "I don't appreciate the teasing Akeno." Akeno's only response was a small laugh.

-x-

<[Pleasure and Pain] - Increases Affection gain with sadists and masochists by 20%>

It's a struggle to contain my smirk. After listening to their conversation using [Sound Domain] I changed my mind and used a Large Heart Crystal on Akeno, bringing her up to 61 Affection. The higher her Affection, the more I'm going to enjoy what happens later today. A water park huh? I admit, the girls of the Occult Research Club in bikinis sounds pretty nice, especially when Atsuko is among their number. And Asia will likely be with us too. Good thinking Rias, I approve.

It was also nice to confirm that Rias was attempting to manipulate me into joining by going after Atsuko. I wasn't sure because it seemed like too good of an idea for her. She either gets me, or she gets Atsuko, or she gets us both. In almost every scenario, she came out ahead, even if only a little.

There was the chance that I got mad and it soured relations between us, but Rias had a good enough read on me to realize that wouldn't happen. I can't even be annoyed that she's trying to manipulate me since I'm manipulating her into manipulating me. Instead, I'm just impressed.

"Axton," Asia calls out to me, bringing my attention back to the kitchen. "The timer is about to go off."

"Right," I say. "Koneko, grab an oven mitt- oh you're already wearing it. Good. When the timer goes off, remove the tray from the oven and place it on the cooling rack."

It's just me, Asia, and Koneko in the kitchen. Rias and Akeno are upstairs and Kiba actually went back to class like a good student. I'm currently directing the two girls on how to make the cookies rather than doing it myself. Interestingly enough, it was still leveling my skill, though the cookies weren't getting the benefit of it. Why one applied but the other didn't I'm not sure, but free XP is free XP.

And free Affection is also nice. I've already gained 16 Affection with Koneko with this. 8 when I told her I had time to do it now if she wanted, and another 8 when the first batch finished.

A few seconds later the timer dings and Koneko has the oven open and the cookie tray in hand in a flash. But once she has it in hand, she very carefully moves it to the cooling tray. Asia closes the oven door behind her.

Koneko stares at the cookies, waiting for them to cool. The way she's fidgeting, obviously eager to eat them already, is adorable. "Now Koneko, shortbread cookies are better warm rather than hot out of the oven," I tell her. "You can't taste anything if you burn your tongue. Just give it a couple more moments."

She nods, accepting my words like she had the last time she pulled a batch of cookies out of the oven but doesn't stop staring and fidgeting. I feel a smile form on my face, and I reach out to pat her on the head.

As my hand comes into contact with her head, we both freeze. Her at my touch, and me realizing what I did. I'd gotten so used to head patting Asia all day that I didn't even think. I pull my hand away. "Sorry, that was just a reflex."

[Empathy] picks up a complicated mess of emotions from her, too much for me to pick out and identify any of them, but after a moment things settle down on...comfort? I think that's what that feeling is.

"It's fine," she says. "I don't mind if it's you."

Koneko that's a dangerous line. But it still makes me smile, and I immediately activate [Touch of Pleasure] and pat her on the head again. This time, the feeling of comfort I'm getting from her increases, and she smiles and leans into a little.

<+8 Affection with Koneko Toujo>

I keep my hand there for as long as I can, letting [Touch of Pleasure] do its work. I notice Asia getting jealous so I smile and start patting her on the head with my other hand. I use [Erotic Pierrot] on both of them, just a little, and what started as a simple pat turns into me petting the both of them. I half expect to see Koneko's ears pop out, but she manages to keep them in.

Unfortunately, the timer that Asia set for how long the cookies need to cool goes off, and the allure of cookies is enough to pull Koneko from under my hand and to the cookies. I pull my hand from Asia's head as well and turn off my skills. I notice that Asia looks a little flushed, and her arousal is at moderately low. Maybe she just gets aroused easier?

I pretend not to notice as I hide a smile. Asia being easier to arouse only makes my plans for her easier.

-x-

Shortly after classes end, Kiba and Atsuko arrive at the clubroom. I'm sitting at the spot I seem to sit every time I come here, and Rias and Akeno are sitting across from me. Koneko and Asia are across the room, out of earshot talking about something.

"Axton?" Atsuko exclaims as soon as she sees me. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were busy today?" She approaches the three of us while Kiba breaks off with a nod to Rias and joins the two girls on the other side of the room, giving the four of us some privacy.

"I was," I explain. "But it only prevented me from going to classes. I'll explain later after Rias here gets a chance to talk to you."

Atsuko's eyes widen as she looks at Rias and Akeno, the two girls she previously called the most beautiful girls in the school and remembers why she's here. She faces them and bows sharply. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to ignore you I was just so surprised-"

"It's fine Hyoudou," Rias says with an amused smile. "It's only natural you would greet your boyfriend first, especially when you didn't expect to see him here."

Atsuko blushes slightly. "Ah. You know about that?"

"I'm aware of Axton's arrangement, yes," she answers, that amused grin still on her face.

"Axtooon," Atsuko whines as she sits down with a thump next to me. "You shouldn't be bragging to people about this."

"First off, why the hell not?" I respond. "I'm pretty excited about consensually dating multiple really great girls, and we're not doing anything to be ashamed of. Second, I didn't tell her. Sona did."

Her eyes widen. "The Student Council President knows?"

"The entire Student Council knows," I correct her. "They're a pretty close bunch, and with me dating Momo and now Ruruko, there's no way they wouldn't."

Atsuko slumps in defeat. "Of course," she says. "Is there anyone else that knows?"

"There are some intriguing but inconsistent rumors about you guys going around school," Akeno jumps in, grinning. "In some versions, you and Aika have seduced him away from Momo, and in some, it's the other way around. Very few have an accurate grasp of the situation it seems. Whenever it gets brought up, it's usually dismissed because they don't believe that Momo would allow something like that." She tilts her head. "None of them mention Ruruko though."

"I'm surprised," I comment. "I mean, that's a pretty recent thing, but we went on a fairly public date a few nights ago, and I expected that fact to make its way around the rumor mill." I shrug. "I guess no one saw us."

Atsuko has her face in her hands. "The entire school is talking about us," she moans in a low voice. But if I know Atsuko, then this is doing more than just embarrassing her. Sure enough, [Lewd Scouter] and [Empathy] show that she's also a little aroused.

I chuckle and gently pat her back. "There there. If you want, we can make an official statement. That might help fight some of the rumors."

She just groans. "So uhh. Gremory! Kiba said you wanted to talk to me?" Her eyes flick to me. "Is it related to why Axton is here?"

"In a way," Rias says, unsure of how to explain things.

"I'm indirectly related to what she wants to talk to you about," I explain. "But more importantly, you're someone who I care about a great deal, so Rias believed it best if she consulted me and that if I were here to help provide explanations and support for you. This is mostly her thing though."

Atsuko frowns and looks back and forth between myself, Akeno, and Rias. "This is something serious, isn't it?" I nod. She gulps, and her fists bunch up where they have a grip on her skirt. She faces Rias and Akeno. "Okay."

Rias seems to be a little caught off guard by Atsuko's sudden switch to seriousness, but quickly finds her feet. "First, I ask that no matter how the conversation ends up going, you'll keep the things you learn here today quiet."

"Can I tell Aika?" Atsuko immediately asks. Rias's gaze shifts to me, silently asking for my input.

"Either way, we'll tell her tomorrow, okay?" I promise. Rias narrows her eyes a little, but I shake my head. "It's fine. Like I said, I was thinking of telling them both soon anyway, and Aika can be pretty discreet when she wants to be."

Rias looks at me a bit longer, before finally nodding. "You can tell Kiryuu. When possible, please refer to either me or Axton when deciding if you can tell a person, but as a general rule of thumb, you shouldn't tell anyone who doesn't need to know."

Atsuko nods, but she looks confused. "Okay, but what is it?"

Rias takes a deep breath and puts on a confident smile. "The members of the Occult Research Club, myself included, are beings known as Devils."

Just ripping the bandaid off, huh Rias? Atsuko doesn't respond, but I can feel the confusion from her clearly. "Huh?" she eventually asks.

Rias continues. "We are a race that lives in the Underworld. We frequently come to Earth in response to summons to make deals with mortals, but many of us also live here. I myself have chosen to attend a human school here in Japan to learn more about this country's culture."

Unbelievably, this explanation doesn't clear anything up for Atsuko. She looks at me nervously. "Axton, have you gotten involved in some weird roleplay thing?"

I struggle to not laugh or let my amusement show on my face, and I can feel similar amusement from Akeno. Ignoring her question, because I don't think I can answer it with a straight face, I turn to Rias. "Just show her your wings, she won't believe without seeing something."

Rias nods, less amused but still reasonably patient. "Right." As one, Akeno and Rias bring out their black and leathery wings that sprout from their lower backs.

Atsuko jumps in surprise. "I- you- wings?!" I place my hand on her back to help steady her and calm her down, and she looks at me, eyes wide. "Are you…?" she trails off.

"Nope, I'm a normal human." I pause. "Well, I'm human. Normal is debatable. But I'm not a Devil like they are. I only learned about their existence a little while ago."

"I- I see," Atsuko says, calming down. "So you guys really aren't human huh? That wasn't a joke?"

"No, it was not," Rias confirms.

"What are Devils then?" Atsuko asks.

Rias smiles. "I'm glad you asked." Rias then gives a brief rundown of Devils, the Fallen, and Heaven. It's not nearly as detailed as the explanation Momo gives me, but it's a decent introduction to things.

By the end of the explanation, Atsuko looks less lost but still confused. "I just don't get why you're telling me all this?" She glances at me. "I mean, I get why Axton might want to tell me. But I'm not sure why you would."

"To be blunt, it's because I want you to join my Peerage," Rias answers. "As a Devil, one of the things I can do is reincarnate normal humans, and most other races, and turn them into a Devil as part of my Peerage."

Atsuko stares blankly at Rias for a moment before turning to me. "Axton. Explain."

I shrug. "I mean, Rias pretty much said it. She's giving you a chance to join her group and become a Devil. Both of which have their perks, for relatively few downsides. Aside from a weakness to holy things, Devils are overall an improvement on being human. And from what I hear, if you're going to join a Peerage, Rias's Peerage is one of the best you can join in terms of comfort."

"But I'd be part of her group? Like, forever?" Atsuko asks.

Rias takes the chance to jump in. "Not forever, not really. You can rise up in the ranks, and if you become a High-Class Devil you can create your own peerage. You'll still technically be part of mine, but it'll be little more than a formality."

"A lot of Devils use their peerages to make harems as well," I add. Rias looks confused, not sure why I would add that. Akeno does as well, but I can feel the moment the pieces click together for her and she grins slightly.

Atsuko just glances at me, taking in the new information. "Why aren't you a Devil then?" she asks me.

"You know how I said it was debatable if I was a 'normal' human?" I said. "Well, for the same reasons that's up to debate, turning into a Devil just doesn't hold as many advantages for me."

Rias frowns. "I still don't see how that can be the case. Even if you're powerful enough as a human, becoming a Devil would only help your growth."

"Now's not really the time to do this debate again," I point out, cutting it off early. Rias looks like she wants to continue, but she nods. I turn back to Atsuko. "The short of it is that I'm not a Devil because I'm not sure it's the right thing for me. My skills, which I'll explain to you and Aika tomorrow, give me other options. For most people, becoming a Devil is worth it."

Atsuko looks like she's not sure what to make of my decision to not become a Devil, but she accepts my words for now. She turns to Rias. "In that case, why me? Is it because of Axton?"

Rias shakes her head. "No, I actually wanted to recruit you before Axton even came to town. It's because you have something known as a Sacred Gear." Atsuko looks confused, but Rias continues before she can ask. "A Sacred Gear is a power found in some humans. They are born with it, and it's part of their soul. Many of the greatest and most well-known humans in history have wielded Sacred Gears."

"And I have one of these Sacred thingies?" Atsuko asks. "What can it do?"

"We're not sure," Rias says. "Yours is still dormant, and while we can sense it, it's hard to get any details. But Sacred Gears are rare, and none of them are bad."

Atsuko looks at me. "Do you have a Sacred Gear?"

"We think so," I say. "The nature of it makes it hard to be sure, since it prevents the detection of even itself, but that's our best guess." I indicate the other side of the room with my head. "Kiba has one. And so does Asia, the blonde girl."

Atsuko looks at the two of them for a moment before turning back to Rias. "So you want me to be part of your peerage because I have a Sacred Gear?"

"And because I think you would be a good fit," Rias adds. "I treat my Peerage like a family. I wouldn't invite you if I didn't think you didn't have a part in that family."

"And as family members, we would spend a lot of quality time with each other," Akeno chimes in. "We have quite the lavish home with a nice big bath and some of the biggest beds that can fit multiple people quite comfortably."

Rias looks a little confused but I just squint my eyes at Akeno. It's obvious what she's doing. She's clued in to Atsuko's bisexuality and is trying to leverage that. Akeno's only response to my glare is to smirk at me before turning her attention back to Atsuko.

I look at her as well, and she looks a lot more convinced than she did a few minutes ago. But not completely. "What would I have to do as part of your peerage?" she asks, and I'm proud of her for asking a question like that.

"I'm still young and learning, so I don't have many responsibilities," Rias says. "Sona and I are in charge of this town, and most of our responsibilities revolve around keeping things quiet and peaceful. My Peerage is considered an extension of me, so anything I need to take care of I will rely on you to assist me with. This could be any number of things."

"And the event you have coming up soon," I add, not letting her leave it out. From the quick look she sends me and the spike of annoyance I feel, she was planning on it.

"Yes. In the near future, I will likely be involved in what's known in a Rating Game with very important stakes. The only people who can participate are me and my peerage members where we'll face off against another Peerage. That's why I'm approaching you now instead of later."

Atsuko looks unsure, and once again she turns to me. "Axton? What do you think I should do?"

I hesitate, thinking over how I should word my answer. "I think that there are valid reasons to join her and not join her. I think you could be happy as a Devil, but more than anything, I think that only you can answer this. I'll give you all the advice you want, and I'll stand by whatever decision you make, but it's one you need to make."

Atsuko gives me a stern look. "And how do you really feel?"

I sigh. "I think it would make you safer, which I would appreciate."

Atsuko frowns. "Is there something that makes me not safe?"

"Do you remember that weird girl that asked me out on a date a couple weeks ago?" I ask. She nods. "That was actually a Fallen Angel. The 'date' was an attempt to lure me into a false sense of security so she could try to kill me. She had orders to observe and kill any Sacred Gear wielders she found."

Her eyes widen. "She tried to what?!"

I shake my head. "Don't worry, she's not a problem anymore."

Atsuko hesitates. "Did you…?" she trails off suggestively.

"She's still alive," I say, and Atsuko relaxes a little. "Not all of her friends that were with her are though. But her I managed to restrain before fighting broke out." Atsuko looks at me, surprise leaking out from her. "I offered them a chance to surrender. But they came at me wanting to kill, so I defended myself. I had very few qualms about it after I broke into their base, found their orders, and saw that you were one of their targets as well."

"Oh," she says in a small voice. "Just because I have a Sacred Gear?"

"Just because of that," I say. "Joining Rias would offer you political protection since Rias is the heiress to a major family, and being a Devil would make it a lot harder to kill you. So that's why I think you'll be safer as part of her peerage. Because like it or not, you have something that can't be ignored." I shrug. "I mean, I can protect you too, and even train you up to the point of being able to protect yourself. But my method doesn't come with as many benefits as joining Rias does, and most of them don't conflict, so you can benefit from both."

Atsuko goes quiet as she thinks about things for a while. Rias, Akeno, and I all sit in silence, watching her as she thinks. I can feel the moment where she makes her decision, [Empathy] easily picking up on her determination.

"I'll do it. I'll join your Peerage, Gremory."

Rias beams. "Great! But please, if you're going to be part of my family, call me Rias."

"Yes ma'am!" Atsuko exclaims, the mood having quickly switched from somber to excited. "I mean, yes Rias!" Akeno chuckles, amused at the cuteness of Atsuko. "So uhh. How do I become a Devil?"

Rias holds out a hand and a magic circle flashes into existence briefly before a wooden case falls into her hands. She opens it up to reveal glittering chess pieces. One knight piece, one bishop, and all eight pawns. "These are my Evil Pieces," Rias explains. "Using them, I can turn you into a Devil. It's a painless process, don't worry. You'll barely feel a thing, besides maybe some fatigue."

"Okay," Atsuko nods. "I'm ready."

Rias stands up and approaches Atsuko, case in hand. As she looks at Atsuko, she places a hand over one of the pawn pieces, before frowning. She then places her hand over the second one, and I can feel worry come off of her. But by the third pawn piece, I can feel that worry turn to an excitement that increases with every pawn piece until the seventh one, where fear creeps in.

I'm not worried though, and sure enough, as she grabs the eighth and final pawn piece, relief floods off of her as she gets the assurance that she has enough pieces to reincarnate her. Atsuko and I watch as the eight pawns swirl together to form a single pawn piece. Rias then slowly shoves that piece against Atsuko's chest, where it sinks into her.

Atsuko's eyes widen as she watches it and she tenses, waiting for something. But nothing happens, nothing visible at least. My vague sense of magic indicates a small shift, and she feels more like Rias and Akeno now. I use [Observe] on her to be sure.

<------>

Atsuko Hyoudou

Level: 8

Race: Reincarnated Devil

HP: 220

MP: 80

SP: 240

CON: 11

STR: 12

DEX: 10

INT: 4

WIS: 5

CHA: 55

LUK: 30

<------>

Her HP, MP, and SP have definitely been boosted, but only by double. Her MP is still lower than the average human though.

"Did- did it work?" she asks, hesitantly. "I don't feel any different."

"You've definitely changed," I comment.

"It will take some time for the effects to fully settle in," Rias explains. "The Evil Pieces change your soul, and since you're still alive, it will take some time for your body to catch up. Devils are naturally nocturnal, so over the next week or so you may be tired during the day and energetic at night as your body catches up."

"Heh, energetic at night," she repeats with a grin before realizing what she said. "Uhh, I mean yeah okay. I can deal with that. What now?"

"Well now you're part of my Peerage and the Occult Research Club," Rias says, excited. "Over the next few days you should relax as the changes settle in, but for today we're going to celebrate and get to know each other a little better by visiting a water park!" She looks at me. "And that includes you and Asia as well, of course."

"Sure, sounds fun," I say, suppressing my grin. I look at Atsuko. "This is a perfect chance for you to use that swimsuit you picked up the other week."

Atsuko looks confused for a moment before she remembers what I'm talking about, the skimpy swimsuit she tried on before accidentally flashing me. She blushes and looks down. "But that's, I don't have that on me. That's at home."

I turn to Akeno, knowing I'll have an ally in her. "Surely you don't mind giving her a quick lift home so she can grab a swimsuit, right?"

Akeno grins, and I can tell she knows roughly what's happening, even if she hasn't seen the swimsuit in question. "Oh no, that wouldn't be a problem at all. In fact, we were planning on it already."

"Axtooon," she whines again.

I smile and wrap my arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Atsuko, that swimsuit is extremely cute on you, and no one here will mind." I lower my voice a little. "And you get to see everyone else in their swimsuits too."

If I thought she was significantly embarrassed, I wouldn't be trying to convince her like this. But [Empathy] and [Lewd Scouter] both make it clear that she's more aroused than embarrassed.

"I guess that would be fine then," she admits. "I did buy it after all. It would be a waste to not use it."

"That's my girl," I praise her. She blushes a little more but smiles. I turn to Rias. "Speaking of swimsuits, I don't think Asia has one."

"They sell them at the water park, we can pick one out for her there," Rias reassures me.

"In that case, we're ready to go," I say. Rias nods and she and Akeno go over to the others to explain what's happening. Today was turning out to be a pretty damn good day.

-x-

It's strange being in a large indoor water park with just six other people. There was entirely too much to do and not enough people to fill it up. Still, not having to deal with said people was nice. No lines for anything, and we could let loose as much as we wanted without having to worry about disturbing others.

All seven of us spent some time swimming together and playing games, but after an hour or so, everyone naturally split up to explore the park and check out what they wanted to do. Kiba and Koneko are checking out the big water slides, Rias and Akeno have disappeared somewhere, and Atsuko and Asia are just splashing in the water, talking to each other.

I introduced Atsuko to Asia, telling her I'd fill her in on Asia's situation tomorrow, so I could tell her and Aika at the same time, but the two bonded pretty quickly nevertheless. Not that surprising honestly. Asia is adorable and Atsuko latched on to that pretty quickly. And Asia is just sweet and so lonely that she makes friends with just about anyone.

I watch them a little as they talk. Atsuko is wearing her somewhat skimpy bikini. At first, she was very nervous as she came out of the changing room. But it didn't take long at all for her to calm down, and now I don't think she even gave it a single thought.

Asia, on the other hand, is wearing a more modest one-piece swimsuit that Atsuko helped pick out for her. It's an off-white color and it's not very revealing, though the neckline does drop enough to show a bit of cleavage.

The two are so caught up in talking to each other that neither notices when I leave after seeing Akeno around a corner, beckoning me over as she slips out of sight.

Akeno silently leads me to an out of the way corner, where Rias is already waiting. It looks like there are going to be some seduction attempts anyway. I make sure to fire up [Erotic Pierrot] and start bumping up their arousal a little and I turn on [Touch of Pleasure] to a low level. As I approach them, I take in the sight of the two busty beauties in their bikinis.

Both are wearing black two pieces that ride the line between sexy and slutty. Both wear simple but small bottoms that tie on the side, but their tops differ. Akeno is wearing a fairly standard bikini top, albeit one that looks a size or two too small. Rias on the other hand is wearing something fancier. A thin loop of fabric held supported two strips of swimsuit material that traveled down her breasts nearly vertically where they looped behind her back right below the bottom of her breasts. It left all of her cleavage and side boobs exposed and I appreciate the sight.

Knowing that Rias is an exhibitionist and that they're both trying to seduce me, I don't bother holding back as I check them out. "Did I mention earlier how good the two of you look in those swimsuits?" I ask out loud. "Because damn."

"You didn't say anything, but the whistle you let out got the point across," Rias replies with a smirk.

"So, is there a reason you've invited me here, away from the others?" I ask. Akeno moves from where she's standing next to Rias and comes over to me.

"We just wanted to thank you for helping convince Atsuko to join my peerage," Rias says, her voice becoming sultry. Akeno makes her way behind me and wraps her arms around me. I feel her boobs press against my back. "Think of this as a little sign of our appreciation."

I ramp up [Erotic Pierrot] on both of them. I hear a rustling behind me as I speak. "Not that I don't enjoy this sort of thing, but I feel like I should point out that I didn't do much at all."

"Nonsense," Rias denies as I feel Akeno pull herself off of my back a little. There's more rustling cloth. "It's obvious that your desire for her safety was a major influence on her choice to join me."

Akeno presses up against me, but this time I don't feel any fabric between us, just the hot flesh of her tits and the hard points of her nipples pushing into my back. Something must show on my face because Rias's grin becomes just slightly bigger.

"That's most likely true," I accede as I increase the strength of [Touch of Pleasure] a little bit. Akeno pulls closer to me, her chin resting on my shoulder and her arms wrapping around my waist. Her hands settle on the bottom of my stomach, right at the top of my swimsuit.

"And so, we want to show you a little appreciation," Rias repeats. Akeno's hands go lower, finding my semi-erect cock and gently running her hands along it, over my swimsuit.

"Just a little?" I say, struggling to keep my demeanor casual even as I stiffen considerably under Akeno's touch.

"Maybe more than a little," Rias admits. "I don't think you understand how much another peerage member means to me. Especially someone worth 8 pawn pieces."

Oh Rias, you don't know the half of it. "Well, if you insist, I certainly won't stop you," I say, and that seems to be all Akeno was waiting for. In a flash, my swimming trunks, which were barely containing my erection anyways, are pushed down enough to leave me completely exposed.

Rias looks a little surprised but tries to hide it. Even without [Empathy] I'd be able to see through the act though. Then it becomes a little hard to focus as Akeno starts to slowly stroke my dick.

"Mmm, you're a big boy aren't you?" Akeno says directly into my ear.

"That's what all the ladies say," I quip. I increase the effect of [Touch of Pleasure] as her strokes increase in speed. Rias has her eyes glued on my dick, and I make sure I keep [Erotic Pierrot] working on her as well. I also go ahead and use [Alter Flavor] to change the flavor of my semen to chocolate.

"I bet," Akeno breathes into my ear. "How many girls have you used this on? How many have you split open and rutted them until they screamed your name?" Her whispers in my ear and the way she is touching me sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine, and I twitch in her hands.

"I don't think it would be very gentlemanly of me to brag," I say, struggling to keep my tone conversational, which I'm fairly certain I fail to do. I've emitted enough pre-cum that Akeno is using it as lube and is increasing her pace.

"So enough that it would be bragging?" she whispers. "What a naughty boy."

Rias is looking flushed now, and she's squirming. She's rubbing her legs together and her hands are fidgeting like she's not sure what to do with them. She hasn't said anything in a while, and she hasn't stopped watching Akeno give me a handjob.

Akeno's tight grip expertly and rapidly slides up and down my cock, and the feeling of it is quickly bringing me to the edge. Especially with Rias staring at it and the feeling of Akeno pressed against my back. I decide to lean into it a little, and not hold back.

"Akeno," I breathe out, half moaning. At the same time, I ramp up [Erotic Pierrot] on both of them, increasing their arousal as much as I can.

Akeno responds by getting faster. "Are you close?" She asks, her voice husky in my ear. "Are you about to cum? Cum for me Axton. Cum."

At her words, I let the pressure spillover, and with bucking hips I climax. Akeno continues to pump me as I do, making sure to squeeze every last drop out of me, and it's several seconds until my orgasm finishes.

It's only then that I realize that the emotions coming off of Rias have changed and I look at her. Shock, surprise, and arousal all roll off of her, and it's probably due to the cum that landed on her stomach, crotch, and legs. She was directly in front of me when I came after all. I feel a sense of satisfaction radiating off of Akeno. Did she aim me at Rias on purpose?

"That's a good boy," Akeno purrs.

Rias seems to be panicking a little, but she puts on a good mask. "As I said, that's just a small showing of our appreciation. The offer to join my peerage is still open though, and if you do join, we would be much more appreciative." She looks down and swallows. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go wash up before rejoining the group."

As Rias walks past us to go back the way we came, Akeno remains clinging to my back. "I can't help but to notice you haven't started to go soft yet," she comments. "Was I not enough for you?"

"Oh it was very good," I reassure her. "But it takes more than that to put me down. One of the reasons Momo encouraged me to start a harem was exhaustion." Rias is gone, but I can still use [Erotic Pierrot] on Akeno, and I keep doing so.

"Is that so?" she says with interest. She raises one of her hands, delicate fingers covered in semen, and brings it to her mouth, sexily licking the jizz off of them. Her eyes widen in surprise. "Chocolate?"

"A trick I picked up," I explain vaguely. "Do you have a preferred flavor?"

"Chocolate is perfect," she says as she runs her tongue over her fingers, getting every last bit of it. She finally pulls herself off of my back, and I hear the rustling of cloth again. I turn around and see her with her back to me, putting her bikini top back on.

Feeling bold, I return the favor and I press up against her from behind, [Touch of Pleasure] still active and I layer [Increase Sensitivity] on top of it. My still erect dick presses against her back and my arms wrap around her waist. She gasps in surprise at my actions but grins. "Now now Axton, don't get greedy."

"Oh no, that's not what this is at all," I deny. "The opposite actually. I was going to ask if you wanted me to return the favor." My hands slip lower on her stomach. "You wouldn't believe what I could do with my fingers."

I can feel a mix of emotions coming from her, but the dominant ones are curiosity and desire. "Oh? And if I said yes?"

"Then I'd give you an orgasm at least as good as the one you gave me, right here, right now," I whisper in her ear, making sure to ramp up [Erotic Pierrot]. Her arousal spikes up, and I can practically feel her skin heat up under my hand.

<+8 Affection with Akeno Himejima>

I grin at the beautiful coincidence that I got Akeno to 69 Affection. But unfortunately, I can feel Akeno as she reins in her feelings of desire and arousal. She shakes her head. "Tempting, but maybe another day." She smiles at me. "I'll let you know when I want you to return the favor, so be ready."

I give her a squeeze before stepping back, away from her with a grin. "Sure, anytime you want." I pull up my swimming trunks. My erection is still obvious, but it's no longer exposed. "You go back ahead of me, I'm gonna give this a couple minutes to calm down."

"Should I send over Atsuko to come to help you out?" Akeno teases.

"No no," I say. "That'll take too long, and she's having too much fun." I double-check with [Void Sight] and sure enough, she and Asia are playing in the water together. "It'll only be a couple minutes."

"If you say so," she says with a slightly teasing tone. "Don't take too long," She calls out as she walks away, headed in the same direction as Rias.

A few minutes later, I soften enough that I'm able to rejoin the group. Rias and Akeno have joined up with the others already. Atsuko gives me a suspicious look when I rejoin the group, but doesn't say anything.

All of us gathered again, we finish the night off with a meal purchased from a place inside of the water park. I assume it was purchased anyway. There's not an employee there, just Rias's familiar in her human form and wearing the water park uniform standing behind the counter.

After that, Atsuko gives me a kiss goodbye and we all teleport home. I ask the Devils to teleport me once again, not wanting for my first use of [Void Travel] to be with Asia. My run-in with the Man in the Wall has me nervous about entering the Void as the skill describes.

Once we're back home Asia goes to take a shower before bed and I go sit on the couch to do a little more [Alchemy], as a thought had occurred to me earlier.

Potions scale in effectiveness based on how many ingredients I put into them. Two for Minor, three for Moderate, four for Major, and five for Ultimate. I'm not sure if there's one for six, but most of my potions follow this rule. But not all of them.

Cure Debilitation and Cure Status Potion are both potions without the modifier. I found both of them as loot in a dungeon so I'm not sure how many ingredients they use, but I do have another potion that doesn't have a modifier and I know how to make it, the Gender Bender potion. It requires four ingredients, but what if I changed how many I use?

So first, I try with just two ingredients; Onyx shards and seawater.

Interesting. A potion that lets you change yourself still, but to a lesser degree than changing your biological sex. So how about three ingredients? What's in between that and genderbending? I add in a scoop of clay as well this time.

More or less what I expected. I can probably use this to change my height or my looks or make my dick bigger or smaller. I can probably make a killing off of just these, selling them to girls who want bigger boobs and guys who want bigger dicks.

I put the potion into my inventory and consider the final option. What happens if I add in Magic Dye and Ectoplasm, both ingredients that work for this kind of potion. What's the tier above Gender Bender?

My eyes widen and a smile stretches across my face. This is it. This is why I don't need to become a Devil. I can be anything with this, why would I settle for Devil? I just need to gather the right ingredients.

"You look like the cat that just caught the canary," Kyu comments, floating into the room.

"You're not far off the mark," I comment as I stash the potion. "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you all day."

"I went exploring around town, took in the sights, did some touristy shit," she explains. "Though it seems like I missed something fun. You got that hot Devil girl to 69 Affection?"

I grin. "Atsuko joined Rias's peerage today, so Rias and Akeno decided to show me their appreciation, hinting that I could get even more if I joined her as well."

"Ooh, and how good was their 'appreciation'?" Kyu asks as she floats down to lay the couch and puts her head in my lap.

"Not bad, Akeno gave me a reach around while topless. And then aimed my cum to get on Rias."

Kyu giggles. "Holy shit that's hot. You gotta let me know something like that is happening next time, I don't want to miss it again."

"Well you'll just have to stick around and not wander off," I tell her. Speaking of Affection, I have some heart crystals I want to use. First, I use some Small ones to push some girls over 50.

<[Power of Christ] - Increases Affection gain with exorcists by 20%>

<[Beautiful Bisexuals] - Increases Affection Gain with bisexuals by 20%>

The last two make sense, but the first one has me scratching my head for a moment until I remember Momo telling me briefly about all the members of the Student Council, and how Tomoe originally came from a family of exorcists. The kind that fixes demon possessions, not the Church's hunters. But man, I should have done this ages ago.

While I'm taking care of things, I use my Crafting Skill Gem and grab [Tailoring]. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to choose, and I'm fairly certain that this is the one that will let me make light armor. Considering one of the drops I got from the dungeon this morning was the hide of a gryphon, I could potentially make some good stuff. Especially if I pick up [Enchanting] next and enhance it with that.

<[Tailoring] - Level 1(0%)>

Perfect. Next, I pull the lewd skill gem out of my inventory and crush it.

--<Lewd Skill Gem Used!>--

Pick a Lewd Skill!

[Refraction Reduction]

[Alter Size]

[Imbue Tightness]

[Summon Appendages]

[X-Ray Vision]

[Lubricate]

[Clean Body]

[Seal Orgasm]

[Link Sensations]

[Erotic Dreams]

--<>--

Oh? That last one…? "Kyu, did you add another skill to the lewd skill list?" I ask her.

"Oh yeah!" she says, face lighting up. "I thought that one up this morning. You should totally get it next, it's awesome."

Hmm. There are a couple that I kind of want, but [Erotic Dreams] does sound like a much better choice. And who am I to ignore the advice of my Love Fairy?

<[Erotic Dreams] - Level 1(0%)>

Very good indeed. For a moment, I contemplate using it on Kyu before I remember our ceasefire in teasing. And then I remember that I have a much better target for it. Asia, who's getting out of the shower now.

I poke Kyu, still on my lap, on the forehead. "Move, I need to get ready for bed so I can try this skill out." She grumbles but lifts her head so I can get up. I arrive at the bathroom door right as Asia exits.

She smiles at me. "I'm all done!" she says, and I pat her on the head.

"Gimme a few minutes to get cleaned up and we can go to bed," I tell her. She nods and heads for the bedroom while I quickly clean up. That [Clean Body] skill might just be my next skill for the time saved alone.

It only takes me a few minutes later though, and I walk into the bedroom and come across the same scene I did last night, with Asia silently praying at the bedside. She finishes up as I come in though, and we climb into bed together.

This time though, Asia immediately snuggles up to me, putting us back into the same position we woke up in, with me spooning her. "Today was a lot of fun," she says.

"I'm glad," I reply as I apply [Erotic Dreams] to her. "It looked like you got along well with everyone."

"They were all very fun and nice," she agrees, voice sleepy. "I'm so thankful that I've already made so many friends."

"Once you start going to classes, every day will be filled with seeing friends," I tell her. I can feel her emotions start to become muted as she falls asleep.

"I can't...wait…" she mumbles, and she drifts off to sleep. That was fast. She must be really comfortable like this. So I regret that I have to end it.

Moving slowly and carefully, I slip out of bed. "Yua," I call to her silently. She comes padding into the bedroom. "Sleep with Asia tonight. I have to go out. Let me know if anything happens and I'll be right back." I pull her wands and place them on the nightstand. "And protect her if anything does. It shouldn't, but it might."

"Okay Papa!," she replies dutifully as I start equipping my gear. "Have fun hunting!"

I smile and scratch her behind her ears, causing her to purr. "I will."

Double checking that I have everything, an easy thing to do when practically everything you own is in a pocket dimension, I activate [Void Blood] and use [Dungeon Traversal] to enter the Hard mode Zombie dungeon.

I'm going to clear it tonight, and finally get back on track.

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