43

"This wasn't exactly what I pictured when you asked me to dinner, you know," Sona says. She's standing over a stove, stirring a pot in the Cooking Club room while I dice carrots, onions, and other vegetables.

"Well, my house is a little crowded, and it's tough to have a one on one conversation without input from the peanut gallery," I say. "Unless you want to go to one of the bedrooms anyway. I figured this would be a nice change of pace for you, and I know you like to cook."

Even if she is terrible at it, I'm not worried; I'll help her fix that problem in the future.

She's quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought and probably thinking about what was discussed earlier in the meeting. Everyone seemed a little lost by the end of it.

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After Mira stormed out, the meeting was pretty much over. Everyone already had a lot to think about, and some obviously wanted to ask me more personal questions. The first to come to me was Aika.

"Um. Was I part of that magicverse because I feel like I wasn't?" Aika asked.

"Good instincts," I said. "Actually, you were in the devilverse."

"I was a devil?" she asked.

"Nope, you were a human who eventually learned about the supernatural and started studying magic. Unfortunately, I haven't come across the person who was your teacher there, so I had to improvise. I thought finding you a grimoire would help get you started, and if we ever come across Lavinia, we can see if you guys hit it off here. Who knows, by then, you could be a full-fledged mage in your own right."

"Do you really think so?"

I glance at Claudia, who just nods and looks away. Smiling to Aika, I said, "Pretty sure. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

She chewed her lip a little before working up to asking the other question. "So, I'm pretty sure I wasn't but was I one of your girlfriends in the other world?"

"Do you really want to know?" I asked, seeing her wring her hands and shuffle her feet. "Because to me, it doesn't matter what you were in that other world. The only thing that matters is that you're mine now."

I'm not saying she cried, but when she looked up at me, there was a little extra shine in her eyes, and there may have been a sniffle or two. "So, Lavinia, huh? How about her? Was she one of your lovers?"

I smirk evilly. "Technically, no, but I have no problem stealing her away. How about it? Think you'd like to work your way up to a threeway with your otherworld teacher?"

Tsk. Claudia rolls her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "Fourway."

Hmph.

Aika just smiled, satisfied with the answers she got. "Remember to come to my house tomorrow night for the sleepover. I want to show you and the others what is possible."

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea of what is possible," she said with a lecherous grin. Claudia smacked the back of the little perv's head, and she flinched.

I couldn't help but laugh. "No. I'm serious, and that goes for everyone here. Come over to my house and spend the night. I promise I am not planning anything lewd, but I can definitely help you with any magical or technical training. Miss Akeno, there is also something I wish to discuss with you in private, so I hope you'll come."

Akeno has quite a radiant smile when she means it. "Ara Ara. Of course, I'll... come. I also wanted to discuss something with you, and so that would seem the best time."

"That sounds great," I said. "I hope to see everyone there."

"A-are you including us in the everyone?" Lilith asked, indicating the other mages.

"Yes, absolutely. What I'm offering isn't anything sexual, so you don't have to worry if that is what you're thinking."

"W-why would we think that!?" Lilith shouted.

"Oh, that's right. Only the peerages have been informed about my abilities. I'd appreciate it if you kept the information to yourselves, but there are benefits to engaging in intimate acts with me. My sexual energy can nourish your body and magic, and there are other benefits as well, but those are only available to those I've bonded with."

"A-are you serious?" Levi said, surprisingly flustered. "Is that what Miss Gremory was talking about earlier?"

The rest of the girls looked at Rias, and her blush was nearly atomic.

Arin, who was still sitting on my lap, looked back at me. "When is it my turn?" she asked.

"Arin!" Lilith shouted. "Y-y-you can't do that with him."

Arin cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"B-b-because it's not... It's... You just can't!" she screamed.

"This is difficult."

I smirked at that. "Why don't you come for the sleepover, and we can discuss if you're ready to take the next step."

"Un," she nodded at the suggestion.

"B-b-b-but-"

"Lilith, Arin is her own person and will make her own decisions. You wouldn't want someone to make your decisions for you, and you shouldn't try to make their decisions for them. I will not take advantage of her any more than I'd take advantage of you. You will be perfectly safe at my house. I have individual rooms for everyone, and unless you ask for the advanced stuff, nothing sexual needs to happen."

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I had Mio take Lieselotte and Selina home with her. Maria and Kalawarna came to walk with them. Zest is still pretending to watch her from the shadows to keep Zolgear from discovering her 'assisted defection' to our side.

After school, I asked Sona to walk with me to the store as part of our date, where I bought food to cook dinner for the two of us. Using her executive privilege, we returned to the school and went to the Cooking Club room to prepare a private meal. We could have gone to her place. However, there are too many eyes there, and I don't want our time interrupted.

Sometimes it's nice to have some one-on-one time just to learn about each other in a non-pelvic mashing way. I'll need to take advantage of the new and improved Dreamscape to talk to each of the girls this way, especially those that didn't get much screen time in the anime. I know shit-all about them.

Once dinner was ready, I pulled out a table, chairs, and the whole ensemble to have a romantic candlelit dinner. Sora and Ddraig retired to my Dreamscape to watch movies with Sasami to give us some privacy, and I wrapped the room with wards of silence and obfuscation.

We're sitting and eating a rather pleasant meal, discussing Sona's dream to open a school in the Underworld where anyone can attend regardless of status, when she suddenly asks, "Why do you want us all?"

Fucking loaded question if there ever was one. I set down my fork and look Sona in the eyes. "Do you mean your group in particular or just the number of women in general?"

"Both."

"Alright," I say and take a sip of water before I start. "There are things I can't tell you. At least, not yet. But the very nature of the powers I've developed lends itself to require a large and varied harem of powerful women. The very fact that every time I have sex, I get stronger. Every orgasm I or my partner or partners achieve translates into an increase in all of our power, in our magic, in our very lives, which is reason enough for most people.

You should know that I have even more reasons than that. Let's take my other ability. The ability to custom create abilities requiring hedonistic and intimate exchanges with members of my preferred sex. The potential there is utterly limitless, but I don't need a specific woman or women if power was all I wanted.

So, what is the end game? Well, do you remember the concept of the multiverse and the overgods? It's out there. All of those worlds, and we're confined to just this one. Maybe I just want to see it for myself. Maybe I want to see what is beyond it. Either way, I want to have people I love around me when I do.

That brings me to you. All of you. I've spent the equivalent of more than a decade watching you. I've seen your triumphs and defeats. I've seen you succeed and fail, love and lose, rise... and fall. I've seen you at your best and your worst, and while that fact may not necessarily be true for all the women I will pursue in the future, I know that your group is one that I want with me at the end.

So, I'll help you achieve your goals. I'll help you grow strong. I'll do everything I can to keep you happy and fulfilled. I'll love you for as long as you let me and beyond. And maybe one day we can see the multiverse together. And perhaps we'll look back one day at this and laugh at a silly kid and his dream to see the multiverse with the women he's come to admire and love."

Sona just stares at me. Sometimes the bullshit doesn't work, I guess. Not that it's that far off from the truth, really, but the best lies always contain some truth. Do I love all of the girls? Not yet. But I'm sure I could work my way up to it. Do I have strong feelings for some of them? Sure. Maria, Mio, Shizuka, and even Raynare has a place in my heart at this point, and I have the 'warm and fuzzies' for most of the rest. Everyone not on the list is someone I haven't met yet, like the bulk of the Sitri peerage.

"You know, I don't think it's fair that you've advanced your relationship with Rias further than with me. I am also your fiance, yet you've engaged in sexual activity with others but not with me. Don't you think that, to be fair, any act of intimacy you've engaged in with Rias should be matched with me?"

I blink. Did the bullshit work? "IIII mean, I'm open to taking the next step in our intimacy if that's something you're comfortable with, but do you know what Rias and I did? Are you certain that you want reciprocity in this case?"

She frowns, and I start wondering if she's going to push. I mean, I wouldn't object to sodomizing the head of the Sitri clan until she's cum so many times that she passes out becoming a drooling mess on the floor, but I'm also not looking to rush things for her unless she insists. "Perhaps I've misunderstood," she says. "By the way that Rias was talking, I assumed that you... though come to think of it, that would cause a political crisis if you were to take her innocence while her engagement to Riser Phenex."

"Oh, I'd say she's far from innocent, but her hymen is still intact," I say. "What Rias and I engaged in was her punishment for violating the rules I'd established and for willfully endangering the peace of the Underworld."

"Hmm. Well, Rias seemed to have enjoyed her punishment quite a bit," Sona says.

"Her enjoyment stems from her own kinks and desire to be dominated. Unless that is also your predilection, you may not gain as much enjoyment from what we did... Yet."

She raises an eyebrow. "For most, it's an acquired taste," I say.

"I'm guessing she didn't tell you about the virginity requirement in the engagement contract," Sona says. "How did you figure it out?"

"Grayfia Lucifuge showed up just as we were getting to the good part and informed me. At that point, however, it was necessary to complete the punishment in one way or another. I offered to allow Grayfia to act as a whipping boy, but she declined, and so the punishment was modified and enacted with her supervision instead."

Sona frowns again. "Modified how, exactly?"

I smile coldly. "There is more than one virginity that may be taken, and the devils only cared about that particular bit of flesh, so..."

Sona pales in realization, and her eyes go wide. After a moment, she clears her throat and continues. "Ahem. And Grayfia watched and did nothing?"

"Of course. Miss Grayfia understands the value of discipline, and I promised not to take Rias's virginity until after the matter of our engagement is settled."

"And Rias didn't object to this 'punishment?'" Sona asks with narrowed eyes. I see where she's going with this.

"Well, I call it 'punishment,' but it started as a game. I told Rias that if I found her naked in my bed again, I'd take it as her offering her body to me. It's impolite to turn down a gift, you know. When Grayfia showed up, that's when it became more of a performance piece with an audience of one. Rias was certainly surprised by what happened next, but given how reckless she was, a little reminder that her actions have consequences didn't seem wrong. Calling it punishment added to the performance."

She watches me for another moment. Her eyes flit around my face trying to find something before eventually retreating. "I don't think I'm ready for that kind of game... or performance."

I smile. "Of course not," I say, leaning forward. "Sona... you don't need to push yourself to be a kinky nympho for me. It's not a competition. The reason it worked with Rias is that it was something that she craved. She needed someone to discipline her but still care about her. That's not what you need. If it were, I would have had you over my knee when you turned Rei and Saeko."

"Oh, and what is it that you think I need?" she asks with only a touch of haughtiness.

"You need a safe place. Somewhere you can set down the load you carry every day. Somewhere you can forget that you are the head of the Sitri clan and all the responsibilities that come with it. Even if it is just for a few hours."

She's quiet, but I see her jaw working and her eyes, visible behind her glasses, shine a little wetter than they were a moment ago.

I flick my hand, and the table between us disappears into my Pocket Dimension. I stand up and close the distance between us. Bending down, I pull Sona out of her chair and into my arms.

She squeaks a little in surprise. "What are you doing?" she asks in a panic.

Readjusting her into a brief princess carry, I sit down and place her on my lap. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, I lock eyes with her. "My sweet Sona, let me be that safe place for you. When you are in my arms, you can rest. I will carry whatever load you bear."

She looks at me like I'm crazy for a moment, and then her eyes soften, and the wetness returns. She leans her head against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. I hear her mumble. "It's so heavy."

"I'm strong. I can take it."

She stays like that for a moment before leaning her head back and looking up at my face. Her face turns pink when she asks, "What about sex?"

I grin, finding 'shy Sona' quite endearing. "When you are ready, we will take our time, and I will make love with you. Your body, heart, and soul will all sing, and your glasses will fog up."

"What about right now?" she asks with a twinkle of mischief.

I snort out a short laugh. "Ha! As much as I would love to, I think we should end this date with a good night kiss. Besides, I have a feeling that if we got you out of your clothes, a certain magical girl would probably show up and try to kill me. We'll have to take some precautions so that we aren't interrupted."

She lets out a long-suffering sigh. "I suppose you're right. If Grayfia has a virginity alarm on Rias, I'm certain that my sister has one on me, too."

She wets her lips and focuses on my face again. "Now, tell me more about this kiss."

I smile and lean down to her mouth, and just as our lips connect, I brush my tongue along her lower lip. It wasn't a kiss full of lightning bolts and claps of thunder. It was passion without the heat and desperation to possess and conquer. It was a hot bath that you sink into and calm your soul, a gentle working of mouths and tongues massaging the worries away.

Her arms squeeze around me, and I return her desire with my own. It was a moment to imprint ourselves within our eternity. As we pull apart from the kiss, I grin. "Your glasses are fogged up."

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Once Sona has teleported away, I sit down and make a phone call.

The phone clicked on the third ring, and the muffled rumble of the receiver told me they were listening. "I have news. Twenty minutes. Same place as last time."

I hung up and finished cleaning up the kitchen. It would be rude to leave a mess for the Cooking Club, and there is at least one member that I plan to woo in the near future. It would be best to leave a good impression.

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There is a general feeling of calm over the whole town. The air up on the roof of the school is clear and crisp, and the light pollution from the city seems to have less impact on the sky than usual. It's the most peaceful the night has felt since I first arrived in this world. It's crazy to think that it's been less than two weeks since I started this journey.

Sometimes I feel like I've been rushing headlong towards the plot, trying to get it to move faster. Maybe it's because I'm looking forward to smearing Zolgear like a bug on a windshield. I can't obliterate Riser, though I'd like to. I don't want his mom or sister sad. So, Zolgear drew the short straw and will have to play sacrificial lamb to my 'righteous' fury.

I'm not there for long when I hear soft steps behind me. "Took you long enough," I say. "You haven't been around as much lately."

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to go this route," Yahiro says. "I'm still not sure you're strong enough to stop him."

I almost laugh out loud. He's still thinking of me in terms of the original Basara, who barely eeked through with the plan in a desperate situation. I am not that guy. Just my body alone is an order of magnitude greater than the O.G. Basara. I could curb stomp Zolgear and have enough left over to rip the wings off Kokabiel.

"I have an inside man. They've given me the location of Zolgear's base on this plane. We're going tomorrow, after school, of course, to ruin his day at the very least. He's going to be away, leaving us with plenty of time to prepare a welcome home party."

"And you trust this person?" he asks.

I smirk. "I've been keeping tabs on them. Their information is solid. The only question is, are you in? You and Mio have the most motivation for revenge. I just heard what his plan was and determined that he needs to cease to exist on a fundamental level."

Pfft. Yajiro snorts. "He's scum."

I nod. "He's scum. Too bad, too, because I heard he was once a decent guy before his wife died, and he went crazy trying to resurrect her."

Yahiro frowns. "That a fact."

"So I've been told. That doesn't mean I'm going to let him keep ruining other people's lives just because he's got a sad backstory," I say. "Anyway, meet here after school tomorrow, and we'll take a field trip to Castle Asshole."

I turn and walk towards the door. Yahiro is still there when the door closes behind me.

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It's a nice night for a walk. Walking is a great way to clear the noise from the day out of my head. It's not like I have to worry about being mugged or anything, so time passes pleasantly. About two blocks from my house, I see someone walking towards me, or more specifically, in the opposite way that I'm walking. Something about him catches my attention.

'Sasami?'

[Yes, Issei?]

'Who is the person walking towards me right now?'

[Saji Genshirou. Potential wielder of the Sacred Gear Absorption Line.]

'He's human, so Sona never reincarnated him,' I think, but abruptly I stop walking. 'Wait. What do you mean by potential wielder?'

[Saji has not yet awakened the Sacred Gear and thus only possesses the potential to wield it.]

'That makes it sound like it's not part of him. Can you clarify what this means?'

[Wielders are those who have successfully summoned and bonded with Sacred Gear as you did with the Boosted Gear.]

'So... the potential to wield a Sacred Gear is an ability, and awakening one is the act of using that ability to summon and bond with the specific Sacred Gear? How is it determined which Sacred Gear a person gets?'

[The abilities are Gear specific. Once that Gear has been awakened, all other potential wielders lose access.]

'Sasami. Cut and Paste'

[On it.]

I continue on my way, passing by Saji with a friendly smile. 'Enjoy your peaceful life, Saji.'

It really is a nice night for a walk.