[35] : Vali Team

Draconic Deus

Earth - Japan

Tokyo - Avalon Residence

[***]

A few hours before Kurumi called Aiden to the building where the black kitten had been injured:

"Intrigued: Hmm, Aiden..."

Kazamachi, who 'feared' that Aiden might punish them for causing so much commotion at the training grounds, broke the silence.

"Yes, Kazamachi?" he replied, curious.

"Question: Weren't you going to punish me?" she asked with a slightly nervous tone.

She didn't want to be spanked like the Typhoon Queen; it would be a direct blow to her greatness and, moreover, terribly embarrassing.

Her head rested on his chest as they lay in bed in Aiden's dorm room, wrapped in each other's arms.

Tohka, on the right, was fast asleep, a smile on her face.

"Not at all. It was just a joke. Besides, I've already made you wear several embarrassing outfits, so consider that your punishment."

Aiden smiled, making it clear he wasn't upset. After all, he could repair the training grounds in no time.

"Affirmation: Aiden is too in love with me to punish me," Kazamachi responded with a triumphant smile.

She spoke like Yuzuru but behaved like Kaguya.

Quite literally, both were now one, though they still existed simultaneously in a peculiar way.

"Well, you didn't tell any lies," Aiden admitted as his smile widened. "But maybe I should punish you harder. How about making you wear that bunny costume, hmm?"

Kazamachi instantly blushed, much like Kaguya did whenever Aiden teased her.

"Helpless: After making me wear these outfits one after another: idol, nurse, maid, cheerleader, teacher, shrine maiden, nun... and you still haven't had enough?! And now you want to keep going? You're a beast, Aiden!" Kazamachi exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tried to maintain a dignified air of reproach.

They had been having sex for so long that Tohka had fallen asleep, but this man seemed endless.

Although she couldn't help but feel happy that he was still so in love with her, enough to want to spend hours together, she still considered him a beast.

Not only had he made her wear all those embarrassing outfits, but now he insisted she put on a bunny costume.

Finally, she gave in, put on the costume, and played with her carrot a little longer.

[*]

After a while, Aiden took the time to clean the room, which was a mess and still had that unmistakable lascivious scent lingering.

Carefully, he carried Tohka, Yuzuru, and Kaguya (who had split back into two) to their respective rooms, as they were sound asleep.

When he finished, he went down to the first floor and joined Kotori and Natsumi, who were playing video games.

Yoshino and Yoshinon watched from the couch, entertained by the exchange of blows in the fighting game.

It was a regular pastime for them, and they seemed to enjoy it a lot.

Meanwhile, Mukuro was in the kitchen preparing dinner, as it was already dark outside.

On the other hand, Miku, Nia, and Origami remained in their rooms, and Kurumi had yet to return.

Aiden closed his eyes for a moment and connected with Kurumi through their spiritual bond.

He could feel she was in Tokyo, probably strolling around after spending time at a cat café.

"Kurumi-san... still hasn't returned," commented Yoshino, who was sitting beside him, dressed in casual attire.

"Hmm, maybe she found something interesting that caught her attention," Aiden replied calmly, and Yoshino nodded slightly.

"Or maybe she just got too distracted playing with the kittens," added Yoshinon in her usual sarcastic tone.

"Why don't we just adopt a cat? After all, this is our home now. We don't need to keep playing the heroes who save the world," commented Kotori without taking her eyes off the screen, as she executed a crucial move in her match against Natsumi.

"Sure, we could also turn the cat into a familiar, extend its lifespan... or even make it immortal if it becomes powerful enough," added Natsumi with a mischievous smile, right before chaining a devastating combo against Kotori.

"Ah!" exclaimed Kotori, surprised by the unexpected attack.

With precision, Natsumi moved her small fingers on the controller and finished the fight, reducing Kotori's health bar to zero.

"[NATSUMI WINS!]" announced the screen in big, bright letters.

Furious, Kotori threw the controller to the floor.

"Ugh! What an absurdly overpowered character!" she complained, while the others watched the scene with a mix of confusion and amusement.

However, the controller never hit the floor; it floated mid-air and returned to her hand thanks to her telekinesis.

Aiden and the others couldn't help but wonder why on earth she had thrown it in the first place.

Anger issues?

Maybe.

In the kitchen, Mukuro had begun serving the dishes. Seeing this, Aiden and Yoshino joined in to help.

"Thank you, Nushi-sama," Mukuro said with a smile as they continued placing the dishes on the table.

After a while, most of the dishes were on the table, and everyone was gathered—except Kurumi.

Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru, despite being tired, came down to have dinner with their family.

Nia, meanwhile, was watching the three in such a peculiar way that anyone might feel the urge to punch her.

When they were about to contact Kurumi through their spiritual connection, Aiden received a telepathic message from her.

'Danna-sama, could you come to my location?' asked Kurumi, her voice sounding as though she were entertained.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, and the others, noticing he was talking to her, continued setting the table while chatting among themselves.

'What's going on? Did you find something interesting? Or are you still playing with cats?' Aiden asked.

'I-I wasn't playing with cats!' she protested, mentally stammering with evident embarrassment before mentally clearing her throat to recover her composure.

'I found a Youkai girl with surprising talent. She's injured, and while I could heal her, since she's a devil, light-element healing spells would only harm her further. That's why I need you to come, darling.'

Aiden, knowing Kurumi well, immediately understood.

She had probably come across something interesting while strolling, decided to investigate, and ended up taking care of the injured cat girl.

'Why don't you use [Zafkiel] to rewind her wounds to when they were healed?' he asked, knowing she could easily do so.

'I thought you didn't want me revealing [Zafkiel], you know... Danna-sama has become quite famous after that battle.'

'That was at the beginning,' Aiden replied.

'I don't mind if people know now that I'm the guy who fought Great Red. I only hid my identity to blend into this world without issues. You should know that.'

'I see... In any case, come here for a moment, will you? I can feel the presence of a [Longinus] user nearby. Weren't you eager to analyze one of those? You didn't get the chance with the [Boosted Gear] that day, did you? I'll wait here, dear~.'

And with those words, Kurumi ended the mental communication.

Aiden remained silent for a few moments, wondering how Kurumi had suddenly found a [Longinus] user.

There are only thirteen of them, you know?

They are scattered across the world, making encountering one an extremely rare occurrence.

However, Aiden decided to stand up from his chair. 

Analyzing a [Longinus] was something that intrigued him, but he had also considered meeting Azazel, the leader of Grigori, to exchange knowledge.

What could Aiden offer in return?

He had some rare materials, but he doubted that would be enough for Azazel to share the research of his lifetime with a stranger.

Perhaps, if he managed to become his ally, he could gain access to that research.

Another option would be to reveal the method of crafting modified [Evil Pieces] capable of producing fallen angels—something that would undoubtedly catch Azazel's attention.

But Aiden didn't want to hand over that knowledge so easily.

Wouldn't the same thing happen as with the devils?

The fallen angels might begin forcing humans to reincarnate, creating a new disaster for humanity.

Although Aiden didn't see himself as a hero destined to protect humanity, he was still human—well, half-human—and couldn't help but worry about them.

That's why he preferred to avoid letting that knowledge fall into the wrong hands.

If he managed to analyze some [Sacred Gears], perhaps he could attempt to craft them on his own.

"Are you going somewhere, Nushi-sama?" Mukuro asked, having just finished setting the dishes on the table with the help of the others.

Nia, Miku, Tohka, Yuzuru, Kaguya, Kotori, Natsumi, Yoshino, and Yoshinon also looked at him curiously.

"I'm going to find Kurumi... You can start eating first if you want, since we might take a while," Aiden replied as he excused himself.

"Hahaha~. Kurumi-chin must have found something interesting if she called you," commented Nia, to which the others nodded.

"It's probably cats, I'm sure," added Miku with a sly grin.

"I agree," all of them replied in unison.

If Kurumi had been present, she probably would have scolded them for mocking her.

"Anyway, I'll be back soon," Aiden said before heading to the center of the living room. 

The others nodded and began eating while chatting among themselves.

Aiden, for his part, raised his right hand and grabbed the space in front of him, opening a spatial distortion.

Without hesitation, he stepped through the portal to Kurumi's location.

[*]

Aiden calmly emerged from the spatial distortion, dressed in casual clothes that contrasted with the disheveled surroundings of the abandoned building.

His gaze first landed on Kurumi, who greeted him with a playful smile.

"Danna-sama, you took your time," she said in a teasing tone.

Aiden quickly scanned his surroundings.

The shattered walls and demonic energy lingering in the air gave him clues about what had happened.

It didn't take him long to notice the injured Youkai girl and the corpse of a devil lying a few meters away.

With one look, he could get a general idea of the situation.

"I was busy helping Mukuro and the others set the table, but it seems I'll miss dinner now," he responded calmly while glancing back at Kurumi.

The group present—Vali, Kuroka, Bikou, Arthur, and Le Fay—immediately tensed upon sensing the dangerous aura emanating from Aiden.

For Vali, the temptation of a fight was immediate; his hands itched at the thought of battling someone so powerful.

However, Albion warned him in his mind not to act recklessly.

Perhaps later he could request training from him, but for now, it was best not to make him an enemy without knowing his intentions.

Bikou and Kuroka, both practitioners of senjutsu, detected no malicious intent in Aiden but remained on guard nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Le Fay silently observed as Aiden and Kurumi conversed in a surprisingly informal manner, almost as if the rest weren't even there.

Finally, Aiden turned his attention to the group.

"Well? There's no need to be so tense. I'm only here to heal the cat girl at Kurumi's request. Do you want me to heal her or not?"

Although Aiden knew Kurumi could handle the situation perfectly fine, he had no problem lending a hand now that he was there.

Before anyone could respond, Le Fay used magic to lift Kuroka and approached with visible concern.

"Can you heal her?" she asked, looking at Aiden with hope.

Arthur shook his head as he followed his sister, cautiously moving toward the duo.

"Le Fay, you shouldn't approach a stranger so carelessly. What will you do if he decides to attack you suddenly?" Arthur scolded, casting a serious look at both Aiden and Kurumi.

Then, straightening himself with elegance, he added in a more courteous tone, "I am Arthur Pendragon. If you have the ability to heal my comrade, I would be deeply grateful."

Le Fay, however, interrupted with a confident smile. "Elder brother, they don't have any bad intentions. That's why Kuroka and Bikou are so relaxed. Anyway, my name is Le Fay Pendragon. If you could heal Kuroka, we'd greatly appreciate it. Oh, and we could be friends too!"

"That's fine," Aiden replied as he approached Kuroka.

With a calm gesture, he placed his hand on the cat's head. 

She looked at him silently but said nothing.

'[Zafkiel: Dalet],' Aiden said mentally.

His golden left eye changed, taking on the same appearance as Kurumi's, as the clock hand in his pupil turned until it pointed to the number IV.

Immediately, Kuroka's wounds began to "heal" as her body's time rewound to a state prior to the injuries.

Le Fay watched in amazement, quickly deducing it was time manipulation.

"By the way, my name is Aiden Avalon. A pleasure to meet you, Pendragon-san," Aiden said, addressing the two blondes after completing the process.

"You can call me Le Fay. And you don't need to use honorifics with me; I'm not from Japan," Le Fay replied with a radiant smile, happy to see Kuroka fully recovered.

"You can call me Arthur," her brother added formally.

"Oh! Amazing, nyaa! It's like my wounds never existed. Thank you, nyaa!" Kuroka exclaimed, now fully healed.

With a quick magic spell, she replaced her damaged kimono with a new one and approached Aiden to thank him.

'You're too close…' Aiden thought as he caught the sweet scent emanating from her.

After talking for a while, everyone introduced themselves. 

They held a good opinion of Aiden and Kurumi for saving and healing their friend, so after the introductions, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

…

…

"Aiden-sama, are you British…?" Le Fay asked curiously as she observed the boy's white hair and reflected on his surname, Avalon.

In Arthurian mythology, King Arthur was taken to Avalon to heal his wounds, and in this mythical world, that was a fact.

"Well… half," Aiden replied calmly. "My mother was British, and my father Japanese. That's where my name comes from."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but remember Ravel, as Le Fay called him Aiden-sama in the same way she used to.

Le Fay nodded, apparently satisfied with the response.

"How old are you, nyaa?" Kuroka asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Although Aiden appeared to be about 16 years old, she could feel the immense power he radiated, and in a world where anyone could alter their appearance, the question was inevitable.

"…" Aiden remained silent, visibly uncomfortable.

Admitting that he was an old man wasn't high on his list of priorities.

"Pffft~" Kurumi's restrained laughter broke the tension.

"Eh?"

Le Fay, Kuroka, Bikou, Arthur, and Vali turned confused gazes toward Kurumi, their expressions synchronized as they tried to understand the joke.

"Fufu~ Danna-sama isn't as young as he looks," Kurumi explained with a mischievous smile. "He acts this way because he 'sealed' his personality to avoid changing over time."

"Oh… so how old are you? Are you an old man in a kid's body?" Bikou asked from his flying cloud, crossing his arms with an amused grin.

Aiden frowned, shooting an annoyed look at the monkey Youkai.

Before he could respond, a voice echoed from behind Vali.

"[He must have over a century of experience. That killing intent, refined through countless battles, and that overwhelming strength aren't achieved overnight. Sealing your own personality to remain unchanging… truly fascinating,]" analyzed Albion from Vali's [Sacred Gear].

Aiden sighed, resigned.

"Fine. I'm 120 years old. I'm a grandpa. Happy now?" he said with a mix of sarcasm and weariness.

Then he added, "Anyway, I sealed my personality because I didn't want to change, or become old and boring. I also didn't want my hobbies to change or to turn into someone I wouldn't recognize."

The group processed his words quickly.

After all, in this mythological world, living for over a century wasn't particularly strange.

There were far stranger people wandering around.

A moment of silence passed before Vali, unable to contain himself any longer, finally addressed Aiden:

"Fight me."

The declaration was direct, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For Vali, the idea of testing his strength was irresistible.

Not only did he enjoy combat, but he also had a feeling that facing Aiden would make him stronger.

The stronger he became, the closer he would be to fulfilling his goal of defeating his grandfather.

Aiden looked at him curiously, wondering if this boy was yet another battle addict who couldn't resist a good fight.

"Why?"

"There's no deep reason. I just want to measure my strength against yours, to face you and see how far I can go," Vali said with unwavering confidence, straight to the point.

"Hmm… but I don't gain anything from this," Aiden remarked, crossing his arms as he evaluated the situation.

At another time, he might have agreed without a second thought, but now he wanted to get something out of the proposal.

Vali's group collectively facepalmed, sighing in unison.

They were used to their leader's impulsive antics.

"What do you want?" Vali asked impatiently.

If fulfilling a condition was what it took to convince Aiden, he was willing to do it, as long as he could gain a new training partner.

"Hmm, how about letting me see and analyze your [Sacred Gear] if I win?" Aiden replied, pretending to think for a moment before making his proposal.

"I don't mind," Vali said immediately, while Albion in his mind confirmed he had no objections either.

"Alright, do you want to fight here in this abandoned building?" Aiden asked, gesturing at the ruined surroundings.

"No… Come with me. I'll take you somewhere we can fight without interruptions," Vali said as he started walking, not waiting for a response.

Thus, the entire group was forced to move to a different location.

While following him, Aiden reflected on Vali's power.

He wanted to know how strong he was compared to his rival, the wielder of the [Boosted Gear].

For their part, Kurumi, Le Fay, Arthur, Kuroka, and Bikou merely exchanged glances.

…

…

…

[***]

End of Chapter.

(•_•)

A/N:

When Aiden uses [Analyze] on the [Longinus] and later examines more normal [Sacred Gears] scattered around the world (off-screen), I plan for him to gain the ability to create them.

My idea is to craft some for his subordinates, though I also want to make special [Sacred Gears] for Kuroka, Ravel, Le Fay, and the other members of the harem, except for the spirits, who are already powerful enough.

The intention is for Aiden to visit the spirit world in Elicia (his previous world) and capture several spirits, such as Ifrit, Salamander, Sylphid, Undine, and others, to turn them into independent [Sacred Gears] that he will give both to his subordinates and his harem.

For example, I plan to include Regulus Aurum (from Strike the Blood) as a spirit in that world and later assign him to a subordinate.

This is just an idea to give you a better picture of what I have in mind; I'll decide how to develop it.

Additionally, I'm considering explaining the spirit world in Elicia in more detail and making some changes to its original version, all to create more material for the [Sacred Gears].

For instance, I was thinking about giving Sylphid to Aiz (from DanMachi) or assigning Ifrit to Ravel.

This might change since it's still just an idea.

…

…

Anyway, thanks for reading~

Peace and out

*