23

Saya was still red-faced when we parted. I promised to visit her house the following weekend since I have too many plans already for this weekend. There will probably be a fight as well if things work out the way I expect. Why is it that, anytime I have a date, someone has to ruin things by trying to kill me? I hope Yuki has been thinking about what I've told her about the hero village.

Leaving the classroom, I walk to the cafeteria where Mio and Yuki are waiting for me. The atmosphere around them is... tumultuous, to say the least. It's like one of those anime scenes where one character is staring at the other with flames shooting around her, and the other has ice and cold winds in an environmental stalemate. Part of me just wants to skip this nonsense, but I promised, and I don't want to lose ground with either girl.

I let out a world-weary sigh. "This is pretty difficult," Arin says from right next to me.

"Oh, you're back," I say. She just nods, her eyes focused on the feuding duo at the table. Looking around, a lot of people are watching them. I look between the two of them once more and then down to Arin. An evil smile creeps its way onto my face. "Hey, want to help me mess with them?"

Her face remains the same passive as always, but she nods nonetheless.

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Well, they stopped glaring at each other, at least. Currently, Mio and Yuki have put aside their hot and cold war and redirected their glare at me. "Say 'ahh,'" I say, holding a spoonful of egg-fried rice I'd made for my lunch before receiving Yuki's invite.

"Ahh," Arin says from her seat on my lap. The glares of the Mio and Yuki roll off the adorable kuudere like water off a duck's back. I smile at the two, and their glare increases a level.

"Listen, you two," I say, putting the spoon of rice in Arin's mouth. "I have several women in my life; that number isn't going down. You are going to have to get used to that idea. I suggest starting with each other. You're both important to me, and I will not put aside one for the other."

They frown harder than ever. "Mio, you know my feelings for you, so maybe you should examine your feelings about me," I say, pointing the spoon at her. Mio flushes red and looks away.

Moving the spoon to Yuki, I fix her with my own stare. "Yuki, even back in the village more than a decade ago, there were many of us. Even until the elders broke all the engagements, we weren't exclusive. You know better."

"They weren't demons," she pouts under her breath.

"Remember what I said about what we've been taught. You have to start thinking for yourself, or we'll both end up very unhappy." She turns her head to the side, but I can see the confused and sad state of her thoughts. I'm close with her. I can feel it. It's tough undoing years of indoctrination and ideology, but it's not impossible when there were already doubts.

I scoop up another spoonful of rice and look at Arin. "Ahh," she says, but I lean in and plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks for the help," I whisper to her. "Are you still sure you want to be my wife?"

A little pink eeks its way into the expression-deprived petite, and she nods. "Destiny."

I let out a sigh. "This is pretty difficult," I say. She just cocks her head to the side in question.

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The Cooking Club's facilities are actually huge. Several stations are set up like a competition cooking show, restaurant-quality equipment, fully stocked walk-in freezers, refrigerators, and pantries. It's like Food Wars on a smaller scale.

Lillith is off to the side talking with a tall girl with hip-length black hair. I'll bet dollars to donuts that it's Akio from the same series as Lillith and Arin. I wonder if Mira is here, too, since she and Akio are practically joined at the hip in the series.

I walk over to an empty station and start prepping the ingredients for the desserts for this evening. Arin, who is still in her role as my shadow, stands to the side, watching me work. A few minutes later, Lillith finally notices me working there and runs over.

She bows her head. "I'm sorry about before. You were right, I should control myself better, and if something upsets me, I should talk about it instead of reacting the way I did."

"You've already apologized. There is no harm done. Can you tell me why you had such a strong reaction, though?" I ask.

Her cheeks flush. "W-well, y-you see-"

I hold up a hand. "You don't have to push yourself. I'm guessing you get easily embarrassed by the idea of intimacy and when you heard about my fiances, you became overwhelmed. Does that about cover it?"

Her cheeks become even redder, and she nods barely perceptibly.

"That could become a serious issue for you in the future. Especially if you plan to take a husband..." I say.

"H-husband?" she says, embarrassment rising.

"Or wife,"

"W-wife!?" she splutters. If this scene were animated, she'd be having steam shooting out of her ears. It's an interesting reaction. I wonder if our little Luxurian here is bi? Is it wrong that I kind of want to feed her to Maria? I wonder if the succubus would be able to break through that- Oh, shit!

Lillith starts to collapse under the weight of the embarrassment equivalent of a thousand suns. I lunge forward, catching her just before she crashes headfirst into a metal rack. I cradle her head and slide to the floor. Brushing her hair out of her face, I see that she is completely out.

"What happened?" a voice says over my shoulder.

"She got overstimulated and passed out," I say, looking up into the coffee and cream eyes of Akio Fudo. "I suppose I should take her to the nurses' office to rest."

"I can take her if you want?" Akio says.

"I appreciate the offer," I say, readjusting the weight and standing up with Lillith in my arms princess style. "But, it's kind of my fault, so I should take responsibility. I'll be right back."

Anyway, it would give me a chance to see Chisato and Shizuka. Arin stays behind to talk with Akio while I walk up to the nurses' office. Chisato opens the door, looks at me, looks at the sleeping beauty in my arms, and shakes her head.

"This is becoming a habit, Mr. Toujou. Come in," she says.

I smile and step inside. "Well, just think, at least you know that should you ever find yourself in a similar situation, I will happily take you in my arms and carry you to safety."

She raises an eyebrow. "And how do I know that?"

"Because I just told you," I say with a smile, setting Lillilth on a bed.

"Cheeky."

"Miss Hasegawa, you've seen me with my finger up your colleague's asshole. I'm pretty sure you already knew I was cheeky, to begin with," I say with a smile. To which she smirks back.

"Chiisaatooo." a sing-song voice calls out.

"Speak of the devil," I say, and Chisato's cool look almost breaks as a short snort escapes her.

"Chisato, when are you going to-," Shizuka says as she enters the room but stops short when she sees me. "Darling!?"

""Darling?'' both Chisato and I say. I wasn't even sure she'd remember the incident, given how intoxicated by the cupcake she seemed.

Realizing what she said, Shizuka blushes and starts fidgeting in embarrassment. It's adorable for such a mature woman in the height of her sexual prime to be reduced to such an innocent expression of shy embarrassment. It's not real. It's a reflex. This woman is definitely not shy, but she probably was at one point in her life, and this situation has caused a brief moment of regression to that state.

She puts her hands behind her back and pushes her prodigious chest forward. The already struggling buttons on her white blouse seem to cry out for someone to save them, and I whisper back, "No."

Unfortunately, someone does rescue the poor buttons. "Miss Marikawa, did you need something?"

Hearing Chisato's questions, Shizuka stands back up to her full height, places a finger on her cheek, and thinks. "Hmm," she hums, looking over to me and then smiles. "Nope! I don't need anything else now."

Walking up close to me, she leans in and looks me up and down. Chisato lets out a sigh of her own. "Did you really make those cupcakes?" Shizuka asks me.

"I did. Did you like them?"

"They were amazing! My whole body felt like it was on fire. Have you made any more? Maybe we could eat them together... at my place?" Damn, this girl is thirsty. Not that I mind, but holy hell.

"Miss Marikawa, that's inappropriate," Chisato says with a slight frown. Hang on a minute. Wasn't there an episode where she brings Basara back to her place? I'm pretty sure there was. I look at Chisato. Is she...? Yeah, she's jealous.

I smile and refocus on Shizuka. "As nice as that sounds, I'm afraid I'm all out of that batch of cupcakes, but I am working on some desserts in the Cooking Club; maybe I can make some extra and deliver them here for you and Miss Hasegawa later."

She pouts at first, but her smile is back when she hears the rest. She leaps, her arms going wide, the top three buttons on her blouse scattering to the winds under the pressure, her arms wrap around my head, and her breasts engulf my face in their pleasant, silk-smooth plushness. They really are a great set of tits.

"Miss Marikawa, don't suffocate the boy," Chisato says.

"Oh, whoops," Shizuka says and pulls herself off my face. She returns to her slightly embarrassed state and turns away to try to fix her blouse.

I smile and walk over to Chisato. "Don't be too hard on her," I whisper. "Remember, 'Restraint is poison.'"

She turns her head to look at me, a small spark in her eye. I walk away with a wave. "I'll be back to check on Lillith a little later."

"Very well," Chisato says.

"Bye, Darling," Shizuka says. I swear I didn't do anything... well, I did, but I don't think what I've done would trigger this sort of reaction. 'Sage, any idea why she's this taken with me?'

[It appears to be related to several of your abilities and bloodline affinities working in conjunction. As a nominally normal human, her system and instincts have become overwhelmed and increasing the rate of development for her affection for you.]

Wow, that just increases my number of questions. 'Which abilities affected her, and can we curb those abilities from overwhelming people in this way in the future?'

[Noted discernable abilities include: Lady Luck's Smirk, Min's Touch, Reciprocal Ardor, and A Dash of Ambrosia. These abilities are responsible for a small fraction of the effect that led to the target's current state. Even if these abilities were not used or calculated in the equation, the target would likely have succumbed to the user in a short period of time.]

'So, what's the large fraction?'

[Unknown. It appears to be from a combination of another ability and bloodline affinities, including the Hero, Demon Lord, and other unknown bloodlines.]

'You still can't tell what bloodlines I have?'

[I am currently only able to discern the Demon Lord and Hero bloodlines.]

'Even if I told you what the other two bloodlines were?'

[My analysis would still be unable to discern them regardless. Their complexity exceeds our processes.]

'And that other ability. Any idea what it does?'

[Only that it affects everything around the user and predates the creation of the Wise Man ability I am derived from.]

'I wonder if this is related to my Starter Pack? Maybe an ability from one of the other people I've been fused with? I need to be more careful. Shizuka is one thing, but what happens if I attract some crazy yandere stalker in the future?'

FUCK! Did I just think that out loud?

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I return to the Cooking Club to find Arin talking to Akio and a petite cold beauty with chin-length blond hair. They see me, and Mira immediately walks over. I'd have to assume this is Mira. I wonder if she'll be instantly antagonistic with me, or if that was just due to his status as a Demon Lord Candidate in the series?

"What did you do to Lillith?" she immediately demands.

I roll my eyes. "Hi, I'm Issei; it's nice to meet you, whoever you are."

Her natural scowl deepens. "I didn't ask you that. What did you do to Lillith?"

I ignore her and walk over to Arin. Mira tries again. "I asked you a-,"

"You're rude," I interrupt, glaring at her. "Rude people deserve to be ignored. Now go away and reflect on your attitude."

"I am the head of the Disciplinary Commit-," she tries.

"Then you should know better," I say, genuinely getting annoyed at her. What is with this type of bossy tsundere? She's worse than she was in the anime. Why?

[Threat detected. Magical energy increasing.]

Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell is going on with her? 'Sora, can you hear me?'

'Yes,' she says.

'This girl is off her meds. I'm choosing my Thema.'

'Really?'

'Ddraig,' I think, directing my mind towards the dragon. 'Does this magic work similar to the anime?'

'So far. Are you going to do what I think you are?'

'Probably. Can you activate the Boosted Gear and augment the counterattack.'

'Yes, with the 'Transfer' ability.'

'Alright, be prepared.'

'Sora, Superbia Archive, Thema Imperium. I will control all magic.'

'Okie dokie. Here we go.'

I turn and feel the magic radiate and surround me. My gauntlet blaze forth. BOOST. Brynhildr practically leaps to my hand of its own volition. I catch Mira's eyes, and they're wild and glowing. Something is definitely wrong here. 'Sage, analyze everything to do with this girl, now!'

'W-WHITE UNI-," Mira starts but hesitates at the beginning. Akio is staring wide-eyed at her friend.

TRANSFER. "Impel Majester," I say, extending my left arm towards Mira.

"VERSE!" Mira finishes, but as her magic explodes forth, it is wrapped in mine and consumed, reduced to nothing. The rest blows through Mira's defenses, throwing her into the refrigerator behind her, disintegrating her magic and clothes in the process.

Akio and Arin, caught in the backwash of magic, are stripped of their clothes as well. Being surrounded by several sexy naked women would be more than welcomed in a different situation... okay, they're still welcomed regardless of this situation. Stunningly beautiful women are always welcome, especially when nude, but I need to think clearly right this second, and they're very distracting.

'Sage, what the hell is wrong with her?'

[It appears to be a form of possession, although your magical energy tore the spirit form apart before I could fully analyze it.]

'Shit... My magic seemed a little stronger than I expected. Any ideas on that?'

[A combination of the Mage King Element, which recently integrated with you, and the power of the Boosted Gear more than tripled the power of the magic countermeasures.]

'Good to know,' I think as I pull clothes out of the Pocket Dimension and passing them to the nude girls. "Here," I say, handing a shirt and pants to Akio. She takes them, looking a little stunned. "These might be a little long on you. They're mine, but it's better than walking around in a tablecloth."

I also hand her a set of Mio's clothes. "These are for your friend, they're also a little big for her, especially around the chest, but it'll get her home at least. We can talk about what happened another time. I need to get cooking."

She blinks. "You're still going to cook after all that?"

I shrug. "People gotta eat," I look at the naked girl on the floor with a frown. "Find out where she was before this. I think she was possessed."

"She was!?"

"Why? Did she seem to be acting normal to you?" I say. Akio shakes her head. "Me neither. She looked like she was trying to fight it, but it was too strong. She should be fine now, but be careful." I walk away without waiting for a response.

Arin is standing there unconcerned by her nudity. I walk up, pulling one of Mio's shirts from the Pocket Dimension. Draping it around her, helping her slide her arms into the sleeves, and buttoning it up for her, I smile. "Sorry, you got caught up in that, my dear."

"Un. How did you learn magic so quickly?" she asks.

"I've had a dragon tutor for about the last week. Sora, my grimoire here, was the final piece of the puzzle. I'm still no expert, but I can understand the concepts and use magic like a hammer. The subtle stuff is still a way off."

I look her in the eyes. "Isn't your hubby amazing?"

"Un," she says with a nod.