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Chapter 19: Ripples

I yawned, pulling myself up and pushing aside a sleeping Shirone. It occurred to me, as I glanced down at the bed of sleeping girls, that Gil and I were really the only ones left who actually got up in time. Sera was sprawled haphazardly across her part of the bed, actually laying on top of Ruby in places. Ruby was sleeping soundly, a small smile on her face as she nuzzled her face against her 'pillow'. Shirone sleepily grabbed on to Asia, who was similarly searching for something to cuddle. It was an adorable scene, one that I found myself cooing softly over.

What? I like cute things. Part of being in a Bond with five girls who all coo over cute things is a tendency to follow suit. So sue me.

Gil shushed me, holding up her phone. I smirked, realizing her plan, and used a subtle levitation spell to leave the bed without disturbing the sleeping beauties. I landed softly at her side, watching as she took a few pictures of the scene. She set one of the pictures as her home screen, before tucking her phone into her uniform's pocket.

I chuckled, pulling on my black blazer over my dress shirt. "So… how should we wake them?"

She frowned, glancing at the sleeping group. "They really should've gotten up a half an hour ago."

"To be fair, we were just on vacation for the past two weeks." I pointed out, pulling on my pair of black dress pants. Kuoh has a dress code, and I try to follow it as best I can. I'm already the tallest in class, I don't need to draw any more attention to myself.

Gil sighed. "I suppose…" She murmured, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she thought. "So we can't just rudely wake them… so what can we…?" She stiffened, cheeks reddening, as something occurred to her. Whirling, her face now a volcanic red, she pulled me into a brief kiss. I blinked in surprise as she pulled away, glancing shyly to the side. "D-don't get me wrong, i-idiot." She mumbled. "I-I was just doing that to wake the others up."

I chuckled, leaning in and kissing her more deeply this time. She eeped, but was soon curled into my chest and leaning into the kiss. I eventually broke the kiss as her Pride started becoming more conflicted, but when I looked down at her face, she wore an adorably embarrassed expression. "You don't have to make excuses for wanting to kiss me, Gil." I murmured, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "You are mine, after all."

She didn't reply, simply leaning into my hand as I cupped her cheek. Her odd, conflicting Pride seemed to settle, and she seemed content to lean against me. I heard someone clear their throat, and glanced up to see all four of my other girls sitting up. Ruby was obviously the one who had cleared her throat, and shot me an amused look as she rose to her feet.

Sera looked a mix of confused and aroused, watching me hold Gil with a hint of jealousy. Shirone ignored me, trying to use Asia as a pillow once more even as the Angel yawned and stretched, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Gil squeaked and pulled away, her cheeks turning bright red once more. She stammered something that might've been an apology, before fleeing out the door towards, I assumed, the bathroom.

Ruby grabbed her cloak from the bedpost she had hung it on, digging through the pockets for a few seconds to find a Requip gem and sending a jolt of mana into it. A moment later, she fastened her cloak and headed out the door. Shirone finally accepted that her pillow was leaving and sat up as well, yawning widely and slipping off the bed to follow Ruby's example.

Asia sleepily stumbled over to give me a hug, yawning adorably and rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Cas." She murmured, arms and wings wrapped around me.

I chuckled, reaching over to the dresser to grab her neatly folded uniform. "Morning, love. Here you go."

She nodded, taking the uniform and holding it against her chest. She rubbed her eyes, folding and stowing her wings before stumbling gracefully after her sisters. "See you in a bit."

I nodded, turning to Sera. "Right. Do you have your uniform here, or do you need to borrow one?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I've got it."

"Good." I ruffled her hair. "I don't think any of my girls have any uniforms that would fit you."

She giggled and kissed me on the cheek, before grabbing her bag and bouncing out the door. I sighed and followed, heading over to the male bathroom. A necessity for any household to have.

Don't get me wrong, I love my girls, but I'd really rather not share a bathroom with them just yet. Too much chaos. And if nothing else, a man needs to be able to use the bathroom in peace. Violating the sanctity of a man's haven is tantamount to sacrilege in some cultures.

I spent a minute or two shaving off my stubble, then washed my hair and styled it in the preppy 'school look' that Issei calls 'nerd mode'. Black hair dye and gel work wonders, my friends. I tied the official black ribbon around my neck, idly wondering why ribbons were used instead of ties, and made my way back to the bedroom. I hesitated upon seeing the closed door, hearing voices from within.

"S-Shirone! P-please, stop!" Asia squeaked.

Shirone let out a perverted giggle, and I distinctly heard squishing noises. "Oh? And why would I do that? These things are amazing. I remember the days when you were just an innocent church girl, hiding perky B-cups beneath your habit."

"Shirone!" Asia whimpered. "A-ah! D-don't do that! They're sensitive! Besides, yours are bigger anyway…"

"Oh, don't be like that." Shirone scolded, and I heard the squishing noises once more. "These are perfectly formed for their size. Nice and soft, yet smooth and supple. They just make me want to—"

I knocked loudly on the door, deciding to save poor Asia from further molestation. The door opened a second later, Shirone smiling innocently up at me. "All ready, then?" She asked, as if nothing had happened. I could see Asia in the background, trying to refasten her shirt.

I nodded. "Yep. Now, what were you doing to poor Asia?"

Asia glanced up. "O-oh! She was just checking to see how much I'd grown! I-I mean this uniform is getting kind of tight, and I thought I should order a new one."

I blinked. "…Right. Okay, then. Couldn't you have used, I don't know, a measuring tape for that?"

Shirone smirked. "I could… but what's the fun in that? I mean, they're right there, so how could I resist?"

I rolled my eyes. "All right, then have your noble fingers of discernment been able to tell how much she's grown?"

She hummed, tilting her head in mock thought. "Mmm… I'd say she's grown to at least Gil's size, if not larger. Actually, I'm pretty sure they're the exact same size right now. We'll have to ask Motohama to check."

I raised an eyebrow. "What happened to your threat of castration if they ever 'eyed up your innocent Asia'?"

She shrugged. "Meh. They can live without their balls, right?"

I sweatdropped. "I… think they'd rather you just kill them at that point."

I felt a pair of arms wrap around my midsection, and Sera buried her face in my shoulder. "That was the most awkward thing I have ever done." She mumbled, her voice muffled.

I glanced over at her, noting the strain her shirt was being put under. I put two and two together relatively quickly. "Did you have to ask Ruby for help getting the shirt on?"

She nodded. I chuckled. "I warned you before that Ruby might grope you."

She huffed, pulling her face away from my arm to glare up at me. "I know, but I was expecting it from Shirone, not Ruby!"

I gestured to Asia. "No, Shirone was groping someone else."

Shirone nodded proudly. "She's grown."

"…It should have been well-established that my girls are perverts by now." I continued, ignoring Shirone's complete lack of remorse.

Sera flushed. "I know! I'm a pervert! Hell, I'm a Lust! But Ruby refused to help me until I let her—"

"Oh, Millicas!" Ruby called, radiating smugness as she dragged a flushed Gil behind her. "Did you know that Sera's neck is really sensitive? When I bit down—"

I abruptly noticed the large hickey on Sera's neck, and decided to change the subject. "Well, we're supposed to be getting to breakfast now, right?" I interrupted, smirking at Ruby's disappointed pout.

Gil seemed slightly flushed still, probably due to whatever Ruby had made her do. Her hand absently rose to touch the area where her collar once was, and she realized with a start that it was missing. She stumbled as she reconnected with reality, her blush fading. "O-oh." She murmured. "Breakfast. Right."

I decided not to question. "Yep. We're introducing Asia today."

Asia seemed to perk up slightly. "That's right!" She exclaimed, rising to her feet and stepping forward. "Let's go!"

"Oh, and remember Millicas, you promised to feed me today." Ruby called.

I gave her a bemused look. "Do I want to know your evil plan?"

"Nope!" She chirped, skipping over to the Transport Circle in the corner.

I chuckled, following, Sera still clutching my arm. We all stood within the magic circle, and I sent a jolt of mana into it. In the next instant, we were looking at the dining room. Asia seemed to be barely containing her excitement as she spotted the figures seated at the long table. The corner of my mouth twitched. {I would've thought you'd be nervous.} I teased.

{Nope!} Asia replied cheerfully, skipping forward. {Nothing to be worried about. I've done this plenty of times before.}

{You haven't. And I somehow doubt that any of the people you healed had memories of eating breakfast with the head of the Underworld.}

{No, but there are plenty about greeting a future father-in-law.}

I blinked. {…Touché.}

{Do you guys have conversations like this often?} Sera asked, mind tinged with childish wonder and curiosity as she inspected the Link. {It seems really convenient.}

{It is, and yes, we do.} I replied easily. {Especially during school.}

{Which you should not be doing.} Gil sent pointedly. {You should be paying attention in class.}

{Fuck calculus.} Ruby grumbled. {It makes no logical sense. I mean, why do I care about differential equations?}

{Hush! It's starting!} Asia scolded, arriving next to my father's chair. She smiled at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He didn't seem to notice, irritably scrubbing a patch of glitter off his arm.

He finally glanced up, noticing Asia, and smiled widely. "Ah, I see my son finally decided to let me meet you. My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, but you can call me Tou-san." He held out a hand.

I idly wondered why he didn't just say 'Dad'. Must be Rias's influence.

She giggled, taking the hand and giving it a dainty shake. "Asia Gremory, and I'd be happy to."

He chuckled, releasing her hand and glancing down at a spot of glitter. "I hope you'll pardon my appearance, it would seem I ran afoul of my son's vengeful streak."

I smirked, pulling out my chair and sitting down. Ruby immediately took my lap, leaning back and adjusting until she was comfortable. "I regret nothing."

Asia bowed slightly. "My apologies for my husband's behavior. He tends to go overboard sometimes. What did he do?"

"He filled my entire office with glitter." My father answered drily. "While I was in it. I don't even know how."

I snorted. "Oh, please, old man. You were just distracted by the—"

"I don't know how he did it." My father repeated emphatically. His invisible glance at my mother communicated the rest of the message. I don't know, and neither will my wife.

Asia smiled politely. "Of course not, sir."

My mother stood, walking over and embracing the adorable girl. "Welcome to the family, dear." She pulled away, looking her up and down, then sent me a sidelong glance. "I approve."

I raised an eyebrow. "I haven't chosen wrong yet."

She smiled, patting Asia on the cheek. "Of course not, but it's a mother's duty to look after her baby boy."

I nodded, electing to change the subject. I gestured to my mother's pencil skirt and white dress shirt. "I take it today's a day off?"

She nodded, smoothing her skirt. "Indeed. Since the Amendment was passed, I no longer have to be a full-time maid in order to enter your father's room."

I abruptly shut down my train of thought at that. Some things should not be imagined. "I see. So, you're a secretary now?"

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Not that I wasn't already, what with how much of his paperwork your father dumps on me." She sent him a glare, making him wilt slightly. "I'm just getting paid for it now."

I sighed. "All right, then. Just… keep it down once Remilia gets back. I'm not explaining why you guys are 'playing games without her' more times than I have to."

My mother cleared her throat, flushing. "That will not be an issue. Your father and I will be… busy over the next few weeks, so we won't have much downtime."

I nodded, turning back to my empty plate. "That's all I ask."

Asia took her spot next to Sera, who had taken Ruby's usual spot at the seat directly right of mine. Ruby didn't seem too bothered by Sera's 'theft', but she seemed to be plotting something, and I'm not entirely sure I want to know what.

My mother took her seat and summoned the servants. They brought out an array of different syrups, as well as several bowls of fresh fruit and a container of whipped cream. Then, they set down several plates of stacked… tortillas? No, crepes. I glanced down at the little Dragon on my lap, who seemed to be vibrating in excitement. She leaned forward, pulling a thin crepe shell onto her plate and proceeding to cover it with what looked like chocolate pudding, before pouring on several different sundae syrups and covering it with whipped cream. She wrapped her diabetes-inducing breakfast like one would a burrito, before drizzling hot caramel on top of it.

I chuckled, taking a fork and knife and feeding her a bite of the diabetes-crepe-burrito-thing. She ate it, childlike glee flickering through her mind.

{So… no evil plan, then?}

{Nope! I've just always wanted to eat crepes while sitting on your lap. Having you feed me the crepe just makes it better.} She chirped, taking another bite off my fork.

I sighed, resigning myself to a lack of breakfast. I somehow doubt that Ruby will be satisfied with just one crepe, so I'll definitely be here for a while.

We finally reached school, and I took slight amusement in the wide-eyed looks I was getting. Asia was humming happily to herself, my arm held captive between her breasts as we walked. Sera obviously wanted to mimic her, but sulkily split off from our group to go visit the student council's office. Ruby followed, waving goodbye and disappearing in a flash of red. Shirone pulled an oddly shy-looking Gil behind her, a smug smirk on her face as she waved farewell and headed towards their homeroom. I sighed to myself.

'I just hope she doesn't kill anyone on her first day back.'

I allowed Asia to tug me in the direction of our own homeroom, silently enjoying the jealous glares and blatant ogling the two of us were getting. Asia is mine, goddammit. It's only natural that everyone knows it.

Asia stiffened and flushed slightly, her even grace broken slightly. I smirked at her. {MINE.}

Her cheeks just turned a brighter red.

We arrived in the classroom and headed towards our normal seats, stowing our bags. No sooner had I sat down then Issei practically grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the room. I blinked, bemused, as he let me go and started fidgeting. It was odd for him to have his playful demeanor cracked, and I was torn between amusement and concern. I waited a few more seconds, then spoke. "Issei, was there something you needed?" I asked politely, deciding not to antagonize him.

"Ineedyoutotellmehowtogoonadate." He blurted, ruffling his hair and stuffing a hand in his pocket.

I paused. "…I'm sorry, say again?"

He grimaced. "I need you to… y'know… teach me how to date girls and stuff."

I snorted. "What, didn't think that far yet? I thought you were the Harem King!"

He growled, tugging at his spiky hair. "I know! I mean, I went on one mock date with that one Fallen, but I was only messing with her. I've never actually had a date before! I mean, what if I mess up and piss her off? What if I spill something on her dress? What if she doesn't like the restaurant I pick? What if—"

"Stop." I interrupted, amused. He obliged. "If you don't know something, ask." I told him bluntly. "Relationships are all about communication. If you always do all the work yourself with no effort on her part, then it will collapse. So ask her what she wants to do for a date."

He took a deep breath, relaxing slightly. "R-right. Okay." He took another breath, his cocky grin slipping back onto his face. "So, ask her what she wants to do, charm her with my dashing good looks, and leave her wantin' more?"

I deadpanned at him. "Have you ever seen someone in a serious relationship 'leave them wanting more'?"

He paused, sheepish. "Uh…no?"

I sighed. "No, just… for now, let her take the lead. You don't know much about her, and she doesn't know much about you. So fix that. Talk about little things—favorite foods, happy memories, anime you might've liked. If you have things in common, you can use that to learn more about her. Got it?"

He nodded. "Yep. So, it's like fake dating, but real?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Sure. But I swear to Moses that if you reenact The Bachelor or an anime, I will castrate you."

He winced. "Right. No reality TV or romance flicks. Got it."

I shook my head. "Just… be yourself. It sounds cheesy, but she'll know if you're lying to her. It's all right to be awkward, hell, Asia wouldn't even look me in the eye unless I got her talking about something she liked for quite a while. But with enough perseverance, you can hammer out something that works."

He nodded, sticking a hand in his pocket. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

I shrugged. "Don't mention it. It's your first date, and it's only right for bros to help each other out."

He cracked a grin, offering me a fist, which I bumped with my own. We returned to our seats before the bell rang, managing to escape being late. We turned in our homework from the two weeks we were gone without much issue, and class continued as normal.

Lunch finally arrived, the bell ringing with its' nasally whine. I yawned and stretched, glancing around the classroom. People were breaking into their own little cliques and sitting together with their lunchboxes. Bentos, I corrected myself.

I grabbed my own lunch, rising to my feet and waiting for Asia to join me. Issei seemed absorbed in his own conversation with his fellow perverts, so I didn't bother interrupting him as I headed to the school roof. Asia stumbled after me, apologizing profusely to the girls who tried talking her into staying. She grabbed me by the arm, tugging me in the opposite direction from where I was walking. "The roof is the other way, Cas." She said simply, more than used to my terrible sense of direction. "That's the science lab."

I didn't bother making excuses. "Thanks." I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

She shot me a sympathetic look, still leading the way. "Is Shirone's bad mood still bothering you?"

I grunted, not responding verbally. While it is possible to suppress your end of the Link, turning down the volume of the proverbial radio, it's impossible to shut it off completely. As such, strong emotions are always felt by everyone in the Bond. That's generally a good thing… unless several of your Bondmates are currently irritated or grumpy enough to contemplate stabbing the cheerful people around them. Asia just seems mildly uncomfortable, but everyone else in the Bond is either undergoing a mental breakdown or considering casual murder.

Asia sighed, opening the door to the roof. "Well, the day is half over already, so it'll be only a little while longer." She comforted.

I snorted. "I'm not the one you have to tell that to." We approached the rest of my girls, sitting in a small circle while eating their lunch in relative silence.

We sat down as well, Shirone immediately claiming my lap. It didn't seem to have the same effect it normally did, but her mood still lightened a bit. A small comfort. I began running my fingers through her hair, soothing her as best I could. "So…" I glanced over the rest of my girls' expressions. "How've your days been going?"

Sera huffed, crossing her arms. I noticed that her hair wasn't worn in its' normal bright pink ribbons, unbound rather than its' usual twintails. "So-tan was mean. I don't just have to follow the entire school code, but also a list of rules she drew up herself!"

My lips twitched slightly. "That sounds terrible."

"It is!" She burst out, throwing her hands in the air. "I can't do anything fun! I have to pay attention in class, and not snuggle Ruby, and ignore the people trying to impress me instead of messing with them, and—" She stumbled to a halt, face reddening. "…And you weren't serious, were you."

I allowed my smirk to show, Shirone giggling softly. "Only partially. I was slightly curious as to what Sona's rules were, but it sounds like they're all about establishing societal norms." My face tightened slightly as I turned to Ruby. "Speaking of which…"

She shook her head. "I haven't seen her Distortion affect her very much. She's used to blending in, and she never really cared much for common sense anyway. That makes finding her Distortion hard."

Sera frowned. "Wait, why do you need to know my Distortion? It won't change anything, will it?"

I sighed. "No, but it will help us spot your Talent easier. We don't actually know how long it'll take before it develops, so it's best to plan ahead. Like how making excuses for my Talent is always easier if we warn people of my terrible sense of direction, or how we make sure people know that Shirone has 'chronic memory loss syndrome'. Get it?"

She nodded. "So, you want to make sure that I don't get whiplash from my sudden Distortion."

I smiled tiredly. "Exactly. We've never had someone Distort this quickly, so this is new ground for all of us. But as long as we take things one step at a time and plan ahead, there shouldn't be any big problems."

She smiled back at me, leaning over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you care that much about me."

I laughed softly. "Sera, you're a part of my life, now. You're going to find out pretty quickly that I don't like being unprepared for things."

"Except emus." Ruby snarked. "He's never prepared for emus."

"Fuck emus. Little demons are worse than actual Devils." I grumbled.

Sera rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever. If it helps, I am feeling a bit different."

I gave her my undivided attention. "How so?"

I felt an elbow dig into my ribs, and I realized I had stopped petting Shirone. Wincing, I returned to my solemn duty. Sera didn't comment on the spike of pain through the Link, though she did absently rub her side like one would a phantom wound. "I don't really know. It's like… I'm missing something, now. Someone makes a joke that I miss completely, or I do something that makes others uncomfortable, but I don't know what."

Ruby snorted. "Sera, you tackle complete strangers in hugs. I don't think there's anything that you can do to make that more 'socially acceptable'. Especially here in Japan."

I shrugged. "Well, it may just be that your Distortion highlights some of your more… enthusiastic… traits. Keep in mind, there might be a good reason why your mind warped so quickly. And you always have been a bit 'out there', so we might just be missing the signs."

She hummed in thought, tilting her head. "I think I get what you're saying. It's just… I feel like I used to be a part of things, but now I'm watching from the outside. Like I'm in a completely different world."

Asia sighed, finally opening her bento. "All of us are like that, Sera. We don't really get out much, just because it's hard to understand other people. And since they don't really get us either, we're kind of outcasts. Why do you think we're eating on the roof?"

Sera smirked, crossing her arms over her tight shirt. I flicked Shirone's ear as she turned to stare. "Because we're the main characters, of course! The main characters always eat on the roof!"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, that's totally it." I turned back to the rest of my girls, opening my own bento and grabbing my sandwich.

…What? You think I suddenly love Japanese food, just because I transferred here? I prefer to avoid seaweed and soy sauce, thank you very much. Peanut butter and jelly are much better.

"So, how has it been going for the rest of you?" I asked, taking a bite.

Shirone huffed, popping a piece of something that smelled of fish into her mouth. "I hate this." She grumbled, shifting on my lap. "No matter what I do, I just can't get comfortable. It's like all my clothing is two sizes is too small, and whatever I sit on is lumpy and uncomfortable."

I sighed. "Well, Devils are made to Sin, so it follows that they feel odd whenever they stop. But you really only have to wait a few more hours, I set the spell to degrade after the 24-hour limit was up."

"And what about me!" Gil burst in, face flushing a bright red as she realized what she had just said. She forged on regardless. "W-what about my collar! You promised you'd give it back today!"

Ruby smirked, leaning in. "Oh? Is Gil-chan missing her collar already? What a naughty girl you are…"

She flushed even brighter, and I caught the flicker of mana that indicated her summoning the Gate of Babylon before she suppressed it. "Sh-shut up." She squeaked instead, crossing her arms and trying to look dignified. "I merely feel naked without it. I need something to anchor me from the gazes of those scum, always eyeing me like I'm a piece of meat. Proof of my lover's Claim on me is only natural to desire, no?"

I raised an eyebrow. "But you never show your collar."

"I do!" She looked slightly offended. "I just put a glamour over it so no one asks any questions. They know I'm taken, they just don't register it."

I opened my mouth, paused, and closed it. "All right, I did not expect that." I finally admitted. "But aren't you posing as Shirone's girlfriend?"

Shirone smirked, speaking up for the first time. "Yes, she is. It's fun to kiss her while holding the chain of her collar. It makes the boys back off from my Gil."

Shirone's spike of possessiveness, while not uncommon for her, still managed to make Gil blush bright red. We all ate in silence for a while afterwards, simply enjoying each others' company and sharing our wordless thoughts. Sera seemed to enjoy the experience quite a bit, judging by her excited thoughts and contained enthusiasm.

I chuckled. {Don't give yourself a headache, love. Your mind isn't used to all the extra stimulus yet. Take it easy.}

She pouted. {But Millicas-sama… it feels amazing~. Just feeling all of your emotions, good and bad…} She trailed off with a giggle. {I wouldn't trade this for the world.}

{I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.} I sent drily. {But keep in mind, this Link can also be very dangerous.}

{What, are you going to scold me for using a Soul-Bond like a toy?} She teased.

I paused, giving her a look. {…You do realize that's exactly how we use it, right? Besides, it's not like there's a correct way to use a Soul-Bond.}

She looked thoughtful. {…Huh. I hadn't thought of it that way. Aren't Soul-Bonds supposed to be sacred or something, though?}

{Not really. I mean, how exactly would we 'respectfully' use this? Half the time, I have to ignore porn or lewd thoughts from either Ruby or Shirone.}

{…Porn?}

I sent her my memory of Ruby sketching a nude of her. {Porn.}

{Ah.} She flushed slightly, glancing over at the unrepentant Dragon. {So it can be used like that, too?}

{We can feel everything you can.} Ruby smirked, making a suggestive gesture. {Everything.}

Sera's face turned bright red, and she began imagining exactly what Ruby might mean with that. I cleared my throat and returned to my sandwich before I could see too much, but Ruby's widening smirk and Shirone's sudden jolt told me everything I needed to know.

The bell finally rang as I finished my second sandwich, allowing me to flee what I suspected was becoming a three-way competition over who could make the lewdest insinuation. Judging by the determined look on Sera's face, I somehow doubted that it would be over as quickly as I hoped. Asia followed me as I escaped the situation, leaving poor Gil to her fate. I would've shot down the contest before it brewed to a full storm, but I figured some form of distraction would be good for them. I only wished that they chose a less… extreme… method.

Asia and I were both flushed a light pink when we reached our next class, making Kiryuu give us a knowing look and a suggestive wink. I ignored her, taking my seat and giving my full attention to the teacher. My cheeks warmed even more as a particularly loud thought from Ruby broke through my careful block, and I was treated to the mental image of Shirone and Sera 'shacking up' in the school sports shed.

I started using Memory Partition after that. Asia would get my attention if anything too bad happened.

'Teacher, I have never been more glad to hear your boring voice. Please, put me out of my misery.'

The final bell rang, rousing me from my half-asleep trance. I yawned, glancing back at Asia and noticing her reddened cheeks. I chuckled, cutting power to the spell and rejoining the Link. I ignored a sudden image of Gil in a ratty smock and her slave collar from Ruby, and the resulting image of Asia in the same thing from Sera. {Girls, it's time to go. Why don't you wrap this up?}

{Oh?} Shirone paused in her mental warfare, voice amused. {But it can only end when there's a winner. Would you prefer to help out?}

Ruby caught on. {Yes, all you have to do is send a mental image that will leave us all speechless for at least three seconds, and you'll win.}

{Is that all?} I smirked, feeling slightly cocky. My irritation from silently bearing my girls' discomfort the entire day didn't help. {Well, I have a secret weapon you all don't know about.}

{And what might that be?}

I sent a mental image of myself after I had just gotten out of the shower, water dripping off my uncovered muscles and my modesty covered only by a small white towel.

One second passed.

Two.

Three.

{Well?} I asked mischievously.

{You win.} Ruby said bluntly. {I can't top that.}

{I have the biggest nosebleed right now.} Shirone sent absently.

{That's going in the Vault.} Sera agreed. I somehow knew that I wasn't supposed to hear that.

I glanced down at Asia, who had frozen in place with a titanic blush on her face. "Ah, sorry Asia. I just had to stop them somehow, or they'd keep going all day."

"I-It's f-fine!" She squeaked, shaking her head rapidly to clear her mind. "L-let's just g-go."

I smiled to myself, watching her tug me past a crowd of curious third-year girls. It's always fun to see Asia get flustered, she just looks so adorable… Actually, come to think of it, all of my girls look adorable when they're embarrassed about something. 'Maybe I should—'

{I swear to God, if you bring up the condom incident, I'm going to castrate you.} Ruby threatened before I could even finish the thought.

{I didn't have to.} I replied smugly, unworried by her threat. It was obviously hollow considering that she was still eyeing the mental image I had sent. {You did it for me.}

{What's this I hear about a 'condom incident'?} Sera asked, her mental voice positively saccharine.

{They will never find the body.} Ruby swore vehemently. She didn't direct it towards anyone in particular, just generally promised pain if we continued our current vein of conversation.

The rest of us ignored her.

{Well, you see…}

By the time we finished regaling Sera with the tale of Ruby's first meeting with my parents, Sera was in stitches while an embarrassed Dragon shouted increasingly violent phrases as she turned a brighter and brighter red. By the time Shirone and Gil arrived, Sera was wiping away tears of mirth and Ruby was the same color of her cloak, spluttering out half-formed death threats and pulling her cloak over her face.

I smiled nostalgically, remembering the days where seeing Ruby hiding her face with her cloak was common. It made her look like an adorable turtle, huddled in a corner as she tried her hardest to keep up her badass self-image. Normally she wouldn't be this easy to fluster, but the emotional feedback from having a foreign soul in the Bond combined with the unstable frame of mind she got from experiencing all the other girls' punishments at once had left her uncharacteristically vulnerable. I privately suspected that her Distortion had something to do with it, as well.

Nevertheless, I was left with a laughing Sera and a huddled red cloak, as well as a very amused cat adding more and more details to the story as I spoke. Gil and Asia just watched from the sidelines, either hiding their amusement or not wanting to get involved. As I put the finishing touches on Ruby's mortifying experience, I heard a voice from behind me clear its' throat.

I left the rest to my capable assistant, turning to see a flushed Sona. "May I help you?"

She gritted her teeth, cheeks still a rosy red. "Yes, you may. Would you care to explain why you're telling my sister a story involving… contraceptives… in the middle of the hallway?"

I frowned. "Why? Is it a problem?" I glanced around, seeing only an occasional student passing by and either ignoring the spectacle or watching confusedly. "It's a story from my childhood, and I thought she'd enjoy it."

"In the hallway." She stressed, glasses flashing.

I smirked, adjusting my own full-moon glasses. "Speaking in Latin."

"In the hallway." She repeated, a vein in her temple twitching.

I tilted my head. "Latin's a dead language, Souna-kaichou. Devils are really the only ones who can really understand it, anymore. And besides, talking is hardly against school code." I glanced pointedly behind her. "Is it, Minato?"

Sona whirled, face turning volcanic red as she spotted Minato awkwardly trying to slip past the debaucle. "A-ah! Minato-sensei! I didn't see you there!"

He shot me a mildly offended look. "No problem, Souna. I was just passing through. Now, what's the issue?"

She took a deep breath, obviously composing a rant about my 'impropriety', but she was tackled from behind before she could open her mouth. "So-tan~!" Sera squealed, not even noticing as she bowled over her younger sister. "I'm so glad you're here! Did you hear the story of Ruby's first meeting with Millicas-sama's parents? It's amazing! She used to be so~ socially awkward and adorable! They even gave me the memories!"

Sona managed to prop herself up with her elbows, glaring at the unrepentant Maou. "Onee-sama." She growled, eyebrow twitching. "Please, get off me. You promised to follow my rules for the entire day."

Sera smiled innocently. "Oh, no, I said I'd do it for the entire school day. Loopholes, Sona-chan. They save lives."

Shirone grumbled something under her breath, crossing her arms. It seems that not even teasing Ruby had fully lightened her mood. She still took Gil's arm, though, so she wasn't so annoyed as to ignore a potential victi—er… ally. Yes. Ally.

Ruby finally came out from her embarrassed huddle, face a brilliant red. "Don't do that again." She mumbled, half pleading and half mortified.

Sera blinked, noticing how adorable the fearsome Dragon looked, and promptly abandoned Sona in order to glomp her. Ruby just squeaked and let her, ducking her head slightly and hiding her face in her hands as Sera began cooing over her.

Sona blinked, sitting up and rising to her feet. "I… don't get it." She stated honestly, straightening her glasses. "Normally, she would've stayed there for at least a half an hour, despite my best efforts to convince her otherwise. Did you do something to her?"

I nodded sagely. "I do believe that the cause of her current condition is something called 'gap-moe'."

Sona opened her mouth, but apparently realized that asking for an actual explanation was pointless. "Right." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well, as long as she's under control, I'm willing to look the other way this time. Just… make sure not to do it again, okay? Kuoh has a reputation to uphold."

She strode past me, Sera waving cheerfully as she went by. "Later, So-tan! See you!"

Sona seemed to speed up slightly at that.

I just smiled, watching as my little family interacted with each other. Standing behind Asia and wrapping my arms around her, I rested my chin on her head. "I think everything's turned out fine, don't you think?"

I could almost feel the warmth of her smile.

Shirone feverishly checked the clock for the sixth time in the past three minutes. "It was six forty-eight, right?" She checked again, clutching her collar. "That's only five minutes away. Are you sure it'll just dissolve? What if it's permanent?" She asked anxiously, glancing up at me.

I sighed, sliding her onto my lap as I finished the last of my Calculus and set it aside. "Relax, love. If that were the case, I'd just Void the collar and make you a new one. You'll be fine."

Gil wasn't much better, seeing as she hadn't turned the page of her book in over an hour. "There won't be any problems with my collar, then? You'll just put it back on once the time comes?" She asked, forcing herself to sound calm and cool, as if discussing the weather.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Gil, your collar is fine. I just used Mirage to remove it and store it in a pocket dimension. I can restore it in a heartbeat. Everything will be fine."

Asia smiled, wrapping her arms around her blonde lover. "It's all right, Gil. Cas would never do that to you."

Gil huffed, crossing her arms. "Easy for you to say, you didn't lose yours.

I can't really describe the feeling she seemed to be experiencing without her collar, but it's definitely there. She seemed to hate the fact that I had removed the collar more than the fact that it was gone, like if I had stolen the deed to her house while she slept. It made her edgy and nervous, unable to properly concentrate on anything. But most of all…

"Cas, can you please just end the damn punishment already?" Ruby growled, pulling her knees to her chest as she glared holes in the blank notebook in front of her.

…It was driving Ruby insane.

Apparently her particular brand of Distortion did, indeed make her more susceptible to the emotions of her Bondmates. While normally that was a good thing, considering she preferred to keep everyone happy and content, it was a double-edged blade. The combination of Shirone's constant pining and Gil's cagey nervousness, the little Dragon looked more than ready to commit murder.

I sighed, stroking Shirone's hair. "Well, if I did that, it would mean ending your punishment, too."

She turned her glare on me. "Why." She deadpanned. "It's five goddamned minutes. Why wait?"

I shook my head. "It's the principle of the matter. The longer I wait, the more you squirm, the more effective the consequence is. Besides, you still have other things you can focus on in the meantime."

She snorted. "What, like Sera bragging to your father about how wonderful her new Soul-Bond is?"

I smirked. "Well, it'll certainly help you be less negative." I gave the Link a quick check. "Besides, she's already finished with that, and now she's just closing off a discussion about the Three Factions Meeting."

She groaned, flopping backwards onto the pillow. "It'll be a cold day in Hell when those three morons ever agree on anything. It took Albion literally body-slamming me into the middle of their fight in order for them to work together, and even that lasted about five seconds before they started hurling insults at each other."

I glanced out the window.

Yes, there is a window, even in a former broom closet. I never ask these questions. It's a mansion.

"I don't know…" I teased, crossing my arms and shivering slightly in an imaginary breeze. Shirone's breasts ruined the effect slightly, preventing me from reaching my other arm. "It has been feeling a bit nippy lately."

Ruby glared at me from her spot near the head of the bed. "Fuck off."

I gasped in mock offense. "Right here?! But all these innocent eyes might be spoiled by the sight of my—"

"HI!" Sera called, bursting through the door with a wide smile and a distinct bounce. In her step, and in her shirt, if you know what I'm sayin'. "How are things going?"

'…Oh God, adding another pervert to the Bond only made it worse.' I grumbled to myself.

Ruby sat up, glancing at the clock. "T minus two minutes and counting." She replied, picking up her notepad once more. "And how did your talk about the meeting go?"

"It went great!" She cheered, bounding over and claiming my untouched right arm as she plopped down on the bed hard enough to make it shake. "We actually have some solid plans, now, and they might just work!"

I nodded. "Sounds good. God only knows that all the Factions need this."

Sera flinched slightly, glancing away. "It's so weird to be able to hear that." She mumbled.

I laughed drily. "Preaching to the choir. It felt really, really odd for me to say His name for the first time." I sighed, leaning over and kissing her on the top of the head. "Well, I'm just glad that we were able to add you without any problems."

Ruby sighed, toying with the corner of a piece of paper. "I wouldn't push it." She warned. "Your Spirit was always stretched a bit thin, and one more is your absolute limit. Beyond that, I don't care if they're the hottest bombshell on the planet or the sweetest girl to have ever lived, you're not Claiming them."

I smirked. "I don't know, I think Asia—"

I was cut off by a loud gasp and a sudden shift from the girl on my lap, and suddenly I was being pulled into a deep kiss. I smiled against her lips. {I take it the spell wore off?}

{Mmmph. Shut up and keep kissing me, I'm enjoying this.}

I continued the kiss until she pulled away, red-faced, panting, and wearing a familiar glazed expression on her face. "M-Master." She panted, looking up at me with adoring eyes as she began to purr loudly. "My Master."

I smiled down at my little Nekoshou, running a hand through her hair. "I see the spell finally wore off."

Sera blinked, watching as I proceeded to lavish attention on the needy girl until she was a purring ball of mush. "You weren't kidding about her loving attention, were you? If she turns all that energy into magic, she could easily level a city."

I raised an eyebrow, temporarily ignoring Shirone to glance over at her. "More like a continent, really. But that's only if you cuddle her until she almost overdoses."

Sera's expression froze. "…Say that last part again?"

I shrugged, turning back to my pet as she poked me in the side. "She can blow a crater the size of Australia using raw energy if she turns her Gluttony into a power source just before she reaches her limit."

"She can overdose." Sera repeated, her mind whirling. I noticed that it seemed rather different from last night, seeming more lateral in its' processes. A topic for later thought. "On Gluttony. That's supposed to be impossible."

I snorted. "Well, it's certainly not easy, thankfully."

"But… it's been ages since there's been something powerful enough to reach a Glutton's limit. I mean… the entire Sin is based off boundless hunger. Envies can burn out, Greeds can break, Lusts can get addicted, and Prides can snap under the pressure of their egos, but Gluttony? It's never been proven that it even has a limit. I guess we've all just assumed it doesn't have one, or it's one that kills you like Sloth's limit does."

I glanced at Ruby. 'So… Lusts can get addicted… good to know.' Clearing my throat, I thought back to the research I had done on Gluttony after Shirone's first overdose. "It does, actually. You just have to have something significant enough to Devour. Ever heard of Olloch the Glutton?"

She shook her head. "No. Was he important?"

I sighed, not bothering to answer her question. "Well, more or less, he was an Elder Demon who had a very special way of gaining power. See, he was just a tiny Demon, an ordinary toad in a land of lion-headed panthers. He had no special magics, and only the intelligence of a beast. But he still had enough wile to find out how to use a Sin to his advantage—and so he did. He knew that the higher the value of the things he ate, the scarcity and personal meaning behind each meal, the greater the amount of power and freedom it would grant him to chase and devour it."

She blinked. "So… he ate gemstones?"

I laughed darkly. "He ate everything. In his dormant state, he was a tiny toad statue, but the instant you fed him something, he'd bite you and ingest your blood. From then on, his entire Sin centered around you, to the point that he would, could, hunt you to the ends of the earth in order to consume you. He had the ability to ingest absolutely any object relative to his size. With every object consumed, he grew to unknown proportions, proportions at least that of an elephant, so as to be large enough to Devour his prey."

I paused, kissing Shirone on the forehead as she purred softly. "As a Demon, his form grew in accordance with his power, meaning that by the time he grew to the size of a human, he could easily tank a hit from Belial and survive. He hunted his prey even between dimensions, consuming the entire planet in order to gain enough power to warp reality itself, never resting until he finally reached his goal."

Sera's eyes widened. "Wait, so how is he not still a humongous threat?"

I smirked. "Simple. See, Olloch wasn't the smartest, so he never figured out the concept of 'overdosing'. After he finally ate his victim, he was unable to handle the tremendous influx of power, and so he shut down. His body gradually shrunk, and he became a tiny toad statue once more. He was unable to wake until someone else fed him."

She blinked. "So… when Shirone overdoses…"

"She passes out for several months at a time." I confirmed, kissing my precious Shirone on the forehead once more and wrapping my arms around her as I pulled her into my chest. "The first time it happened, we all panicked. It wasn't until I figured out that it was her Gluttony that caused it that we stopped worrying about someone poisoning her. Scared the hell out of us."

Sera winced. "I see the issue. So… no infinite power, then."

"Nope." I agreed.

A lull in the conversation followed as Sera processed the information. I felt a light tug my shirt sleeve, and I turned to see a blushing Gil shyly averting her eyes. "U-um… M-Millicas-sama?" She asked, her voice soft and pleading. "M-my collar…"

I blinked. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I completely missed that! Here, let me…" I touched her neck, concentrating for a moment, and her collar shimmered into existence once more. "There." I pulled back my hand, looking down at the sleepy ball of fuzz that took up my lap. "I'd offer to let you sit on my lap as an apology, but it seems to be taken right now."

"I-it's fine." Gil stammered, still only making fleeting eye contact. She cleared her throat, straightening her shy wilt. "B-but!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms. "It will not pass without some manner of repayment!"

I nodded slowly. "All right… that was the plan… so what do you want?"

She reddened once more. "I-I want you to Command me!" She blurted, face turning a red to match her eyes.

I blinked. "Ooookay?"

"I-it's just, you gave me this collar to prove that I'm yours and no one else's, but you never use it!" She began, stammer disappearing as she began working herself into a righteous fury. "Even Asia uses it more than you do, and she only does it to make sure I don't accidentally hurt people during training! I mean—"

"Okay. I'll do it." I interrupted, making her stumble slightly.

"…Oh." She muttered, looking slightly embarrassed. "Right. Okay. So…" She turned her expectant gaze on me, face turning red once more. "A-as long as it's not anything publicly humiliating, I'll do whatever you Command."

I raised an eyebrow, catching the obvious hint that she would gladly humiliate herself in private. "All right. So you'll do anything, right?"

She nodded furiously, shyly looking up at me. She was nothing like the Prideful King she professed herself to be in public, her face soft and eager, adoration written in her every feature.

…It's at moments like these that I regret not being able to ravish my girls at will.

I cleared my throat, pulling my mind out of the gutter as I tried to think of a harmless command. I decided to ask a few questions, both in order to stall and to avoid potential pitfalls. "Do you hate your beauty?" I asked simply, deciding that it was best to be blunt.

She shook her head, smiling. "Of course not. It's just…" She glanced away, face reddening. "I want my beauty to be seen only by you, Goshujin-sama. Everything I am is yours alone."

My Language ability helpfully pointed out that 'Goshujin-sama' meant both 'master' and 'husband'. It did not help my boner any to abruptly realize that it was what maids referred to their masters as. Or to realize that I was technically married to her.

'Fucking Devil blood… even if Lust isn't my Sin, it still makes me susceptible to random fantasies. All the perverts in the Bond aren't helping any, either.'

Before I could continue my line of questioning, Asia spoke up. "So you don't usually show your full beauty?"

Gil scoffed, crossing her arms. "Please. Showing my full form to ignorant mongrels is like giving a diamond to a rabid dog, or casting a priceless pearl to the swine."

Asia seemed both thrilled and depressed. "O-oh." She muttered, glancing down at herself. "R-right."

I made a mental note to reassure Asia that she was beautiful. A fancy dinner, perhaps? I had something similar planned for Sera… "So, then will you let me see it?" I asked, throwing up a few Mental Partitions to run calculations. Nothing kills sudden boners like insane amounts of math.

She perked up, glancing up at me, cheeks still tinged red. "A-anything for you, Goshujin-sama!" She proclaimed, still smiling shyly.

I hesitated, but shook my head. The cons outweighed the pros. "Not right now."

I abruptly realized the issue with having a harem of subs when one isn't a natural Dom. I have no fucking clue what to tell her to do! I could never tell her to humiliate herself, that would be against my very nature. I can't make her do something she would do ordinarily, or she'll get offended. So what should I…?

An idea sparked, and I realized a safe way out. I raised my arm, placing it on her silky blonde hair. My golden bracelet glowed as I spoke. "By the power of Command Seal…"