Duties

"Should we be concerned?" I can't help but ask.

Rias is squealing happily just a small distance away, grinning wildly as she cradles a rare boxed figurine in her arms. She's attracting quite the attention, and by proxy, so are we.

"Perhaps." Sona says tiredly. "But it's either this or her constant nagging."

I grimace. "That's…" I sigh. "I suppose that's a fair trade."

Just a second later, Rias sees something else, and she squeals again. Sona and I turn to one another, as we sigh as one.

It's been a week since I began my schooling in Kuoh High, and after some consideration, I finally decided to agree to Rias' plan of going to Akihabara. Sona and I had decided to join her, just in case something happened.

We're somewhat regretting that now. We knew how much of a Japanophile Rias is, but this was somewhat pushing it.

At least there's a number of food vendors to keep us occupied. I think Sona would've snapped hours ago if we didn't.

Still, despite our growing embarrassment at Rias' antics, I am glad that I went here. The weeks leading up to this one had not been kind. Skipping grades isn't as simple as I wished it could be, and arranging the accommodations for Rias, Sona, and their respective peerages had been beyond aggravating.

And that isn't even taking into consideration the other issues I've been dealing with outside of Kuoh.

Overall, it's an experience far too similar to the crunch I was forced to go through back in my first life. It's not a pleasant comparison.

"How're you adjusting?" I ask. "Having any issues? Any subjects giving you two trouble?"

Sona smiles. "I am fine." She then chuckles. "Rias is having some issues with Math, but that's mostly her own fault."

I nod. "And your schoolmates?"

At that, she frowns. "It's an…experience, I admit." She begins. "I am unused to being admired by so many. Even back in the Underworld, most of the parties I attended are small events. Being surrounded by hundreds of other people," She closes her eyes. "It's an odd feeling."

I smile sympathetically. "That's normal." I point at my hair, my usual white turned to a dull brown. "Even with my illusion, I don't quite conform to the norm. I've always garnered attention." I shrug. "It's a feeling you get used to after some time." I turn an eye to Rias, and I smile wryly. "Although I don't think your friend over there has any problems with that."

Sona huffs. "That's just because she likes the attention."

I laugh weakly. "She's just built different."

Distantly, I see Rias pick out another boxed figurine. It's a particularly expensive one as well. "How much money does she have in her pockets?" I can't help but ask. "Does she even have a limit?"

She stares at me. "She does not."

I think back to the three dozen suitcases of pure cash Rias had given me as 'payment' for her stay in Kuoh, and I sigh. "I can see that."

A small silence passes between us, filled with annoyed amusement as we watch Rias stumble around her newfound heaven.

Eventually though, I ask, "So is she going to reincarnate anyone?"

Sona blinks. "Hmm?"

I turn to her. "She's missing half of her peerage." I say. "And her Queen." I add right after, before I frown. "Why hasn't she picked a Queen yet, again?"

Sona shrugs. "She says she hasn't 'found the right one'." She explains. "No one's taken her attention yet."

I hum. "Something regarding her Gremory blood, I suppose?" I ask. She nods. "Well, I can't blame her. Although she should probably start looking around more." I grimace. "Her…'marriage' is coming up, if I remember."

Sona shakes her head. "Last I heard, she's managed to delay it for another year."

"But she can't keep delaying it forever."

She grimaces as well. "That's true."

There's not much I can do to help in that regard. The Gremory carry with them a sixth sense of sorts, an instinct on what action will bring them the largest riches. It's how Rias can so confidently decide that someone isn't fit to be her Queen.

The issue with that is the fact that my eyes see differently. These eyes of mine peer into various different possibilities, each containing a variety of individuals fit to be Rias' Queen. I mean, I can try and bring her as many candidates as I can, but that's too much effort for a 'guest' of mine. I can't do that without asking for something in return. At least not without people getting suspicious.

I sigh.

The rest of our trip goes on slowly. Rias' energy seems to only grow the longer we spend, while Sona and my motivations have begun drilling into the earth. At some point, I decide enough is enough and I force the japanophile to sit down and finally eat some food.

We got to Akihabara early in the morning. It's evening now. We haven't eaten anything.

After a hearty dinner, Rias drags us back to the streets of Akihabara. Not to buy more figurines—though she still did buy a few more—but to go to every arcade center. Sona seriously contemplated just leaving the girl to go home. And to be fair, so did I.

But we didn't. For one sole reason,

Rias is terrible at games. She likes them, sure, but she isn't all that skilled. Which gives Sona and I the perfect chance to dunk on the poor girl every time a two-player arcade game comes up.

And wasn't that a surprise? My jaw had fallen when I first brought Rias and Sona to the arcade center in Kuoh, only to see the stern Sona completely destroy her friend in game after game. And it's not like Sona likes to game or anything, she's just really good at games in general.

It's night when we finally return to Kuoh. I bid the two farewell, and it doesn't take long until I'm back home. I unlock the door, and I come inside to find my big sister laying on the couch, slowly kicking her legs as she reads through one of her manga. She turns to me once she hears the door close, and she grins. "Took a while, huh?" She says. "Had a good date with those two?"

My eye twitches. "They're friends." I repeat for the eighth time today.

"Mhm." She raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"

I fall silent for a moment, before I grin. "Doesn't that mean I have more game than you do?"

And immediately her face sours, and she groans as she digs her face into a pillow. I cackle as I walk up to her, and I give her head a quick chop. She grumbles. "You're an ass."

I smirk. "It's better that it wasn't a date, right?"

"Urgh," She turns her head towards me, her lips curled to a soft scowl. "You suck. Where did my cute little bro go?"

I huff. "This is how I've always been." I look around. The living room is empty sans for the two of us. "Are mom and dad asleep?"

She gives me a thumbs up. "Yeap. Mom was pretty tired today, so she went to sleep. Dad joined her."

"Hmm." I nod. I can't sense Akeno inside the house. "Where's Akeno?"

She shrugs. "She's having a sleepover with her friends."

Ah. So Akeno's at Hibana Village right now. We needed some sort of lie we could use when we're outside, and we've made several different ones. We change it up depending on what we're doing, just so we know what the other is doing.

I nod. "Noted." I take a quick breath. "I'm going to go to bed now. I'm pretty tired." I glance down at her. "Need me to do anything before I drop?" She shakes her head. I smile. "Alright then. Good night, sis."

She reaches up and ruffles my hair. "Night, lil' bro." She says, grinning tiredly before she turns back to her manga. I huff, and I begin walking up the stairs as I quickly fix my hair. I reach my room, and I silently lock the door behind me as the warmth of the room washes over me.

I glance at the seemingly innocuous dreamcatcher hung above my bed.

Of course, it isn't an actual dreamcatcher. It's a permanent Ofuda, carved from wood, strung with strings, and with the Japanese characters of 'Home' written around the wooden circle, and later dressed as a dreamcatcher. It's the thing constantly keeping the room gently warm.

That damn thing took me an entire week to make. But I am glad I made it, because it makes this room feel perfect.

Now alone, I roll up my left sleeve to reveal a wooden bracelet. There are a series of tiny Japanese characters carved into the wood, each character glowing a bright white. I give the bracelet a quick tap, and the white glow fades near immediately.

And my hair returns to being completely white. I give my white bangs a quick tug, and I nod. I'd honestly expected the bracelet to break at some point today, but I'm pleasantly surprised it didn't. I mean, I did spend two weeks making it, but still.

I reach into my pocket, and I pull out a 'Recall' Ofuda. The characters glow, and the slip of paper burns away as sparks begin rising around me. They swirl in the air, and the world slowly bleaches away as Primal Energy coils around me.

It takes an entire minute for the Ofuda to work, but when it does, I fade from the world.

And several prefectures away, I reappear. Except I don't appear in Kyoto. I don't even appear on the surface.

Instead I find myself underground. I'm inside a large stadium-sized opening inside the earth, with dozens of meters of air between me and the glowing blue crystalline ceiling above. The wall is covered in massive wooden roots, and behind it is an endless sea of stone.

This is Hibana Village, the home of those that were saved from the fall of the Five Principal Clans. A secure village built within the earth itself, kept stable by giant roots extending across the walls, and nourished by all forms of energies swirling in the air and in the stone itself.

"Welcome, Hyoudou-sama."

Before me is Himejima Suzaku, dressed in a clean office suit. And behind her stand a row of other servants. Together they all bow to me, and I barely manage to hold back a sigh.

"At ease." I say. They straighten back up, and I force a polite smile on my lips. "Good evening to you all. Is everything well today?"

Suzaku smiles. "Yes. Thankfully, all is well today." She then frowns. "Although…"

I raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, it's…" She looks away for a moment, if only to hide the smile on her face. "I believe Genbu-chan misses you."

I blink for a moment, before I chuckle. "That's quite the serious issue." I say with a wry smile. "Well then, take me to her."

Suzaku and the other servants bow, and we begin walking soon after.