Bonding

"Alright, I'm going to go check on So-tan. See you around, Proxy-kun~" chimed Serafall, supplying a playful win before she disappeared, leaving Vahn alone in his room.

'She's fun...' thought Vahn, sporting a smile as he collapsed onto his bed with his arms splayed out to his sides, reflecting on his first meeting with the famed Leviathan. It was hard to believe she and Grayfia were similar in age, but Vahn chalked that up to different people having different ways of coping with longevity.

With that thought in mind, Vahn checked the time to see that it was 3:14 PM. The Open House was scheduled to conclude at 3:15, so there was a good chance that Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Asia, and potentially even Xenovia would be returning shortly.

"Hmmm..."

Without him needing to ask, Sis opened an interface connecting Vahn to the internet. He was pretty sure he was going to immerse himself in the virtual world of Dragon Ball, as Ki had a lot of similarities to Touki, but he wanted to see what other Martial Arts anime were popular. Most of the highest-rated ones were limited to what humans believed to be possible or just beyond it, but a few transcended it completely, particularly shows like JoJo's Abnormal Adventure, Monkey King High School, and Fate Stain Night.

'This one looks interesting...' thought Vahn, pulling up the page and a few videos for an anime and manga series called History's Strongest Disciple: Kenshiro. The most powerful characters in the series were at the level of a Mid-Ranking Devil, but its emphasis on training, techniques, and classic art style stood out.

kacha

Interrupting Vahn's browsing, the door to his room opened, revealing a lone Koneko.

Rising to a seated position, Vahn adopted his most welcoming smile and said, "Welcome back."

"Nn...I'm back..." affirmed Koneko, offering a cut nod as she made her way over and climbed onto Vahn's lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world, hugging him tightly before recounting her day at his behest...

...

..

.

With Rias determining it would be safer for everyone to stay at the Old School Building until the summit's conclusion, Vahn invited Issei and Kiba to spend the evening in his room, prompting the former to sniff the air and comment, "I swear, Vahn. Each time I enter your room, it smells more and more like a girl's..."

"Really? It doesn't smell at all to me," responded Vahn, placing his larger bed in his Inventory before setting out three smaller ones, adding, "Take your pick."

Setting his bag near the bed on the far right, Issei asked, "So, what's the game plan? You didn't invite us here just to sleep, did you? And what's the deal with you and Xenovia? Don't tell me she's joined your harem."

"Is that a bad thing...?" asked Vahn, raising his right brow and tilting his head slightly.

"I mean, it's not bad..." responded Issei, his smile cramping as he added, "I was just hoping to make a move on her myself."

"Why didn't you...?" asked Vahn, pulling out sheets, blankets, and pillows for the three beds.

Shrugging, Issei admitted, "Because she's intimidating as heck. I've tried talking to her a few times, and it was like being interviewed by a cop after being accused of shoplifting."

"Well, if it's any consolation, she's been aiming for me since the end of the Kokabiel incident," revealed Vahn, finishing his sleepover preparations by producing a mini fridge and stocking it with water, cold brew, juice, and a variety of carbonated beverages.

"Man, seriously...?" groaned Issei, exhaling in exasperation as he sat on the bed and leaned back, propped up by his hands, as he asked, "Can you at least promise not to make a move on Irina? I'm not the best at reading girls, but we're childhood friends, and I'm pretty sure she likes me."

"Sure," responded Vahn, nodding. He was tempted to ask why Issei didn't confess or ask Irina if she liked him, but not everyone's situation was like his. Most relationships were built upon a foundation of time and emotional investment, making them considerably stronger in the long run. And while he cared dearly about those he chose to get involved with, he often got to know the girls after entering into a relationship...

Grabbing himself a can of sparkling grape juice and cracking it open with a hiss, Kiba, wearing his usual smile, questioned, "Now that the two of you have gotten your usual pleasantries out of the way, how shall we pass the evening?"

Pulling out a device that looked like a futuristic motorcycle helmet with the back half missing, Vahn explained, "If the two of you are up for it, I figured the three of us could start and play a game together. Something that can help us grow stronger or expand our skillset."

"Oh, hell yes!" exclaimed Issei, punching his right fist into the palm of his left hand as he revealed, "Ever since Buchou brought it up, Tsubasa and I have been playing an idol management sim. These things are super useful for learning new skills."

"If that's what the two of you want to do, I will gladly accompany you," affirmed Kiba, taking a seat and sipping his drink before asking, "Did you already have a setting in mind?"

"I do," confirmed Vahn. "But I'm more than willing to pick something else so we can all have fun."

"What did you have in mind...?" asked Issei.

"My leading candidate is Dragon Ball, which is similar to the Drag-so Ball you're familiar with," responded Vahn.

"For real? That's actually one of the first worlds I had simulated," revealed Issei, closing his eyes and exhaling a sigh as he confessed, "I managed to track down Buruma and Goku in the full-immersion mode, but when I tried joining them, I got yelled at and told to take a hike..."

"I was personally planning to train with Master Roshi and participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament," revealed Vahn, pointing out, "The Touki that Koneko and I use is similar to Ki, and because of my power, the fidelity of the simulation should be much higher."

"You mean it will be even more realistic?" asked Issei, brows raised and a glimmer of excitement in his brown eyes. The full-immersion mode of the headset even simulated sex if you visited a brothel or managed to get an NPC's affection high enough. What more was there to simulate? Individual atoms and sub-atomic particles...?

"I'm afraid I'm not particularly well-versed with anime and manga," stated Kiba, asking, "Do you think I would be able to improve my swordsmanship or cooking in such a world...?"

"If it's cooking, there's Shokugeki no Souta," proposed Issei, crossing his arms, raising his gaze, and caressing his chin in thought as he added, "As for swordsmanship, the first thing that comes to mind is One Pisu. But I've tried diving into that world, and it's a nightmare. There's no fast travel on full immersion, and you pretty much have to get a job or join the Marines if you want to travel between islands."

"Why not just fly between islands...?" asked Vahn, causing Issei to stare at him with the same degree of confusion he was showing.

"What do you mean?" asked Issei, preempting Vahn's response by stating, "There's no function in the benchmark to let the headset know I'm a Devil or Sacred Gear wielder, so I can't use wings or Ddraig. My base strength, speed, and reaction time translate, but they aren't very useful in a setting where people can casually dodge and slice bullets."

"Oh? I've always wanted to try slicing a bullet..." chimed Kiba, his interest in the world of One Pisu increasing. He knew that he should be able to cut a bullet based on his speed and reaction time, but since guns were illegal in Japan, he had yet to have the opportunity.

With Sis confirming his suspicions, Vahn nodded and said, "That's what I mean by increased fidelity. With my power, the virtual space will function similarly to the Corridor. That means you should be able to use everything available to you, including your Boosted Gear."

"Seriously? That's both awesome and totally broken..." muttered Issei, a bead of sweat forming on the left side of his face. He was still in disbelief regarding Vahn's tentative status as God's Proxy, but the more he learned about his capabilities, the more the title made sense...

Nodding, Vahn revealed, "I was thinking of proposing a similar system to facilitate Rating Games. That way, even if both sides go all out, there's no risk of anyone losing their lives."

"That would definitely be convenient," affirmed Issei, offering a nod of his own before adding, "Then, unless we want to give Kiba a chance to get up to speed on things, I'm down for diving into this Dragon Ball. But what will we do once we're inside? Because I doubt Muten Roshi will agree to train three random guys who appeared out of nowhere. Even Goku and Kururin had to bring him Lunch before he was willing to accept them as students."

"What about heading to the Lookout?" asked Vahn, reasoning, "If Kami is willing to train us, we could train without derailing the main story. And I'm sure Mr Popo can teach Kiba all kinds of recipes."

"Then what about Buruma and the Dragon Balls...?" asked Issei. "Because Yamcha is a terrible boyfriend in the original series, and allowing Woolong to wish for panties is a gigantic waste."

'That's weird...I'm pretty sure that Bulma was the person who cheated on Yamcha...' thought Vahn, wondering if what Issei was referring to was one of the many subtle changes between Dragon and Drag-so Ball. Externally, he shrugged and responded, "I don't mind meeting up with the main cast and getting involved in the hunt for the Dragon Balls. What do you think, Kiba?"

"I'm fine with following the two of you, but I wouldn't mind learning more about the world beforehand," answered Kiba, reasoning, "That way, I can make more informed decisions."

"Sounds good to me," said Issei, smiling as he looked at Vahn and asked, "We are marathoning the entire series...?"

"A refresher could prove useful," affirmed Vahn, offering a curt nod before producing a box set of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super, the last of which was based on the series that had recently finished airing in March. Finishing all three would take an estimated 206 hours, but since he wasn't in a rush to dive into the virtual world, Vahn didn't suggest they use the Corridor and instead set up a large, 248cm television and a comfy sofa for them to watch on...

...

..

.

As he didn't have any parents to engage in a Parent-Teacher-Student conference with, Vahn was relaxing in the club room, lying down with Koneko catnapping atop him as they awaited the end of the school day and the start of the summit that afternoon.

kacha

"Pardon our intrusion..." said Xenovia, entering the club room alongside Asia. They also had the day off, and though she was still a member of the Kendo Club, Xenovia entered the room modeling the same short-skirted Maid outfit as Asia, plus a pair of dark blue spats.

With Koneko sitting up and dismounting him, Vahn rose to a seated position, smiling as Asia presented him a cup of milk tea and hummed, "Here you are, Goshujin-sama~" in a cheerful, sing-song tone. She and Xenovia had become roommates the previous night, and after staying up into the wee hours of the morning chatting, they realized they had a lot in common, including their desire to serve Vahn.

"It's delicious," affirmed Vahn, downing the contents of his cup in a single go before caressing the kneeling Asia's head, causing the ahoge atop it to squirm as if it were alive. Xenovia observed this with glistening eyes, but since there wasn't enough space for her to kneel and enjoy Vahn's caress, she reluctantly served tea and snacks to Koneko instead...

...

..

.